Love Lost and Found
by XxRoGuExHeArTxX
Summary: I am terribly sorry to announce that this story has been abandonded, and I will be putting it up for adoption. Please read in my author profile for details. (LoganRemy Slash)
1. author's note

It is I, back from the dead! I am terribly sorry for the tremendous gap in updates. Between writers block and all the drama and angst going on in my own life lately, it's been quite a while since I've been able to update this fic. But I am here now to bring you….* drum roll *… Chapter 7! Please read and review… I hope you all like it, and there will be more soon to come, I promise.

Love Always,

~XxRoGuExHeArTxX~ 

P.S. Here's the technical rundown and disclaimer:

Summary: A new virus has emerged that kills mutants, and Rogue is its first victim. Without the woman he loves, Remy falls into a deep spiraling depression to which there seems to be only one cure: Logan?? Two torn, aching men are left in the wake of Rogue's death to find comfort in each other. But nothing ever runs smoothly in the X-Mansion, does it?

Pairings: Initial Rogue/Remy, but mostly Logan/Remy. Also some Hank/Jubilee and Jean/ Practically every male character. 

Rating: R for now, but soon to get a bit more steamy!

Disclaimer: They're not mine, baby… really! These boys and all they're screwed up comrades belong to Marvel, but aren't they just soooo fun to play with??

Warning: This is a SLASH fic. That means it contains Male/Male romance. Also, a warning to all Scott and/or Jean fans: I am NOT a Scott or Jean fan, and it is very apparent in this fic. Please enjoy ^-^


	2. Oblivion at Sunset

"Beep…beep…beep… beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep." The sound still burned Gambit's ears. He'd relived those last moments every night for the past month. Seeing her pain. Feeling it in a way he'd never thought possible. Hank could do nothing for her, no one could. She was supposed to be invulnerable, it shouldn't have even happened. 

As Remy Le Beau sat on the ledge of the mansion's roof, he couldn't help but remember. Remember the pain in her green eyes, filled with tears like he'd never seen them before. Her strength had probably been the double-edged sword that killed her… a virus, so simple, so weak. No one knew how she got it, but once it was in, there was no way to get it out. He remembered holding her gloved hand, sitting beside her, praying constantly to whatever entity had helped him survive his rough childhood in New Orleans. Remembered how startled he'd been as she gently squeezed his hand, and he searched her face for some sign to the answer of his prayers. Eyes clenched tightly in pain, her lips moved, repeating some inaudible prayer, or perhaps a curse. Leaning in he had pressed his ears close to hear the words, broken, gasped between shudders of pain. 

"Sorry…. Time.. wasted. Secrets… Love… Remy… Love… you…" 

His heart had stopped, his blood frozen in his veins. She what? 

"Chere, Chere, please what you tryin ta tell Gambit?" 

He had stroked her hair urgently, needing to know if he had heard her right.. needing desperately to know before it was too late. She was shivering now; her lips tinged blue as her condition worsened. As the disease had progressed, she had relived every mutant power, ever memory, every feeling she had absorbed throughout her brief life. Gambit charged his hands, running them several inches above her face, trying to thaw the ice that had begun to clot her blood, freezing her from the inside out. His attempt seemed to help as the blue slowly faded. She seemed to ease for a few moments before her body tensed, eyes shooting open to reveal dilated pupils and irises that glowed yellow as those of Mystique. She began gasping sharply, a scream escaping her tortured throat. 

"Chere! Please, Chere, everything gonna be all right, Gambit here…" 

He took her spasmming body in his arms, mentally crying out for any telepath in range to come to his rescue.

"Chere, everything gonna be ok… what you need to tell Gambit?" 

He looked into her wild eyes, stroking her red hair, brushing white strands from her eyes. He could feel her physically gather the last of her strength, her eyes returned to their natural green and she tilted her head toward his ear, whispering 

"I love ya, Sugah… I always have. I… I'm so sorry its gotta end…" 

She began to choke, her body reaching its final breaking point. Remy stared in horror, jaw hanging open, his mind screamed for help, from anyone, anywhere. Her gloved hands found his and fingers intertwined. Lifting herself so close he could feel her breath against his neck she managed to speak.

"Gotta end… fore it began. The rest… they love you too… different… but love.. don't lock em out… they care.. for ya. They care.. but.. I love…" 

She collapsed against the pillows, taking a few final sharp breaths… her body quivering. She opened her eyes one final time, meeting his gaze. This time, demon eyes, glowing red on black met his own red gaze. 

"Chere, non!" 

He pulled her close and kissed her. Their lips glowing from the combined kinetic energy that flowed between them. Cradling her face in his hands, he opened himself, poured into her everything he'd always wanted to say… he loved her, the others, they meant nothing. It had always been her. She saw everything, his pain, his misery, his struggles, and his past. Sinister, the Morlocks, Storm, Professor Xavier, and finally, her… his love, his passion. He fell to the floor, nearly unconscious. The last sound he heard before he blacked out was the "beep… beep…. Beeeeeeeeep" as he lost his precious Rogue forever. 

Jean had woken with a cry, feeling Gambits plea for help. Waking Scott, they ran towards the infirmary, Jean contacting Professor Xavier, Scott stooping to bang on Hank's door, not bothering to explain what was happening. That was how the others had found them; one dead, the other nearly so. Of course, he had not learned this until much later. 

The memories were so real, the pain so vivid, Gambit screamed in pain, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't take the pain. Life before her had been so dark, but life without… it was like having had a glimpse of heaven, then being sent to hell. 

"Dats it… Gambit can take dis no more" 

He stood shakily, wiping his tears bitterly on the sleeve of his brown trench coat.

"Gambit comin wit you, Chere…" 

He stood on the ledge of the roof, looking towards the sky… sunset. She had always loved to watch it…watch the first stars shimmer. Now he would watch them with her, at last. Spreading his arms open he embraced the night, falling forward into oblivion….


	3. Ice and Snow

Gambit stayed that way, arms spread open as if he wished to fly, eyes clenched tight against the pain he anticipated. However, none came. He waited several minutes before experimentally opening one eye. 

"Gambit be dead? Dat not hurt so bad as I thought…" 

Suddenly, he felt himself being hoisted upwards by an iron grip on his jacket. Adamantium, actually. Gambit found himself being tossed back up over the ledge, a low snarl accompanying the hard "thud" of his body hitting a near by wall. 

"Well, ya thought wrong, Gumbo. I don't know what's goin' on round here…. Somethin' doesn't smell right. But whatever the hell is goin on around here, there's no flamin' way I'm lettin ya jump and take Rougie's heart with ya." 

Remy's jaw dropped. Logan… Logan had been in Japan. When did he get here? Did he not know that Rogue was…? 

"Quoi?" 

Gambit managed to spit out several minutes later, his mind a haze of shock and horror. 

"Yeah, ya heard me, Gumbo… she fallen for ya. Fallen real hard. But ya know if ya ever hurt her… ever even think of breakin her heart, I'll have ta kill ya."

Logan smiled at the young Cajun man, not a joking smile, but a deadly grin that showed his glistening fangs. The smile died quickly as he saw tears begin to well up in Remy's eyes. He had expected the Cajun would be thrilled to know how she felt, Logan had been able to smell their desire for each other for as long as he could remember. Remy began stuttering, a look of fear and pain in his eyes. 

"What!? What is it, kid? Spit it out!"

Logan was more than slightly confused and quickly getting pissed, and a little nervous. He'd never seen his fellow X-man in tears before. What the hell was going on? Leave on a little vacation for a couple months and everyone goes crazy while your out? 

"Rogue… Rogue's… gone…" 

Remy sobbed, the tears spilling fresh down his cheeks again. Logan hoisted him up by the collar of his shirt, staring him level in the eyes, their noses almost touching. 

"Where is she?" 

Logan growled, a feral look coming to his eyes; a look that chilled Remy to the bone and left him gulping for air like a beached fish. Angry and frustrated, Logan turned abruptly, dropping Remy and swiftly walking back into the mansion. Even with his long, graceful legs Gambit nearly had to run to keep up with the enraged man barreling his way down the halls. Storming into Professor Xavier's office, Logan planted himself so firmly and abruptly in front of the massive oak desk that Remy nearly ran into him.

"Where is she, Chuck? What's goin on round here?"

Charles Xavier looked his long time friend dead in the eyes with a sigh. He had dreaded this inevitable moment but had not expected the sharp stab of pain that accompanied the memories of the past month.

"She's gone, Logan."

Logan growled furiously, sick of this game. 

"Gone where? What the fuck is goin on around here?! Just spit it out already, Chuck, I'm done playin'!" 

Wolverine's adamantium claws shot out, anticipating a fight. He didn't know who had Rogue, but he'd do whatever it took to get her back. 

"Who is it this time? Apocalypse? Sinister? You name it, Bub, I'll get her back."

A heavy sigh escaped Professor Xavier.

"She's dead, Logan."

A blank look fell over the sharply etched features, the fire in his eyes seeming to die instantly. The claws automatically retracted and he stood there, dumbfounded. 

"Dead…."

He repeated it, twirling it through his mind. He sniffed, searching desperately for her scent; the warm musky spice he'd come to love. In its place he found only the stale, rotting stench of sickness and pain. He bit his lip furiously, fists clenching, he roared. The sound was neither human, nor animal, but pure pain. A scream of furry, a howl of sorrow, a sob of pain rolled into one; the sound of an adamantium heart breaking. The claws shot out, burying themselves deep in the solid oak desk in front of him before he stomped out the door, nearly ripping it from it's hinges. At that instant everyone in the mansion froze. The Wolverine was home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gambit stood silently in the cold, early morning mist, a shiver chasing down his spine as he watched Logan bent double over her grave, shaking. He'd known he would find Logan here, and from the thin layer of frost dusted over his hair and shoulders, he'd been here most of the night. Logan did not cry, not now anyway. Never when someone was looking, too macho for it, Remy supposed. He was not surprised by Logan's response though; he had always known how deeply the older man had cared for his Southern belle, though as a friend, daughter, or something more, Remy decided he'd probably never know. Gambit took a step forward, hoping to comfort Logan, who immediately began to growl. 

"Get outta here, kid. You've had your turn, now its mine." 

Remy wasn't phased by this response and stubbornly persisted.

"Non, mon ami… Gambit fraid I can't do dat. Logan, ya hurtin' right now, just like Gambit be. Thinks ya need a friend, me…" 

"I said, get outta here…" Logan snarled

The claws shot out in warning, but in a moment of realization, it occurred to Remy they were more of a shield than a sword. While others would see only the glint of deadly metal, Remy heard the edge on Logan's voice… he was starting to crumble. Remy continued to slowly advance towards Logan, who tensed, cold reddened hands gripping the grave of the one he hadn't been able to save. Logan jumped as he felt strong arms wrap around him from behind, Remy's soft, gloved hand finding Logan's, rubbing gently between where the claws emerged. 

"Put does away… dis is not a time to be fightin'" 

Ever so slowly, the claws retracted, momentarily leaving scars where they had been. Remy began to rub the light scars, continuing even after the outward signs of pain had vanished. 

"I know it hurts, mon ami… it hurts real bad. I feel it too, me. But I gonna be sure you don't gotta face de pain alone…" 

The hand around Logan's waist began to move, coming to rest above his heart, gently rubbing the place that ached so badly, soothing the hut with his own body heat. Logan's defenses cracked, the heavy walls crumbling down and he burst into a fit of sobs.

"Shhh… it ok"

Remy turned Logan in his arms, holding the older man close as he began to shake, guiding Logan's head to rest upon his chest, wrapping the brown trench coat around him for warmth. The sudden wetness of his shirt alarmed Remy, and he tilted Logan's face up towards him, gasping silently. Logan's eyes were filled with blood; red smeared his face as the crimson droplets continued to stream down his cheeks. 

"Oh Cher, dis why you never let anyone see you cry?"

The young Cajun smiled painfully at Logan, tears building in his own black and red eyes as Remy stroked his wild hair. Neither one could say who started the embrace, they seamlessly melted together, holding on for dear life, weeping in each other's arms. Tentatively, Remy raised his head to look at Logan, dipping forward to lick the drying blood from his cheeks. Logan was stunned, jaw hanging slightly open in surprise. However, as shocked as he was by what Remy was doing to him, Logan was even more shocked to find he was… enjoying it? He'd never been held or comforted before… never had someone been so tender as Remy was. Choking back a sob, Logan returned the gesture, licking the sweet, salty tears from Gambit's cheeks, kissing the closed eyes. Logan fought a blush as he found himself admiring how soft the Cajun's skin was, the silken texture disrupted only by a sharp patch of stubble. Suddenly embarrassed, as if he'd somehow known Logan's thoughts, Remy turned his face away, resting his aching head on Logan's shoulder. Kneeling beside the quiet grave, the two held each other for a long time, until the mist parted to reveal an icy grey sky, and a chill wind began to make the two shiver anew. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Non… non, can't be… Non!"

It was happening again; the nightmare that wouldn't go away. Remy found himself running down an endless hallway, at the end of which he could see Rogue laying on a soft, lace covered bed, like a princess in a fairy tale. The light streamed down on her face and she smiled, waiting for her prince to come and wake her. He ran down the hallway towards her, but suddenly his foot was caught and he fell so hard he lost his breath. He looked down and saw a snake, scales huge and dark like chips of polished onyx. Eerily familiar red eyes peered up at him as the snake wrapped around his foot, the dark forked tongue flickered in and out between jutting fangs. It seemed uninterested in him however, loosening its coils and slithering away down the hall towards Rogue instead. Remy fought to get up, but found himself bound within the coils of hundreds of smaller snakes, each with the same onyx and ruby coloring. He watched in horror as the snake reached Rogue, twining itself around her, forked tongue probing the skin of her neck, searching for… ah yes, there it was, the tender pulse. Remy cried out, fighting for his life, hitting a wall in an attempt to break the coils of the snakes. It was too late though, and he looked up just in time to see the hideous fangs drive deep into their target, heard Rogue's scream of pain…

Down the hall, Logan woke with a start. He sniffed the air, searching for what had disturbed his slumber. It was then he heard Remy's scream. The groggy effects of sleep slipped away instantly as he bolted out the door and down the hallway. He didn't bother knocking, for by now he could smell the struggle, pungent as fresh blood. Grabbing the handle, he rammed himself against the door. What? Locked? Who the hell ever locked their door around here? Another bitter scream pierced the night and the lock gave way beneath adamantium claws. Logan burst through the door, splintering the polished wood like a twig. 

The sight that met Logan's eyes was worse than he had feared. He glanced about the room, looking for Magneto, or Sinister, or perhaps even Sabertooth. The adversaries he'd hoped to find were nowhere to be seen though. There was only Remy, thrashing on the floor beside his bed, tangled in the sheets. A toppled table, a broken lamp, and tears. Tears most of all. Logan knelt beside him on the floor. By now, others had woken, crowding by the splintered door. Scott pushing to the front of the crowd.

"What's happening here?" Scott demanded angrily. 

"Nothing I can't handle, One Eye"

Logan growled bitterly, reaching towards Remy who still thrashed, lost in the throes of the nightmare. The claws retracted after their intimate moment with the door, and Logan gently proceeded to untangle the sheets from Remy, who was slowly beginning to wake. 

"Quoi…?"

He looked around confused as Logan hoisted him up into his arms. 

"Come on, kid… ya done enough damage for one night."

Logan strode towards the door, the crowd parting to allow them through. Scott stared after them disapprovingly, inwardly sickened by the way events were turning. 

"Why couldn't he have just stayed in Japan… "

He stalked off in the opposite direction of Logan, leaving his wife staring after him, dumbfounded. 

Remy stared silently over Logan's shoulder. 

"Where you takin Gambit, Cher?" 

He murmured so softly Logan barely heard it. What was that in his voice…fear?

"Someplace where I can keep an eye on ya, Gumbo… don't want ya hurtin yourself or somethin." 

Logan kicked open the door to his own room, dropping Remy rather roughly just inside the door. Immediately he turned, stalking towards the bathroom, hoping the young demon eyes would overlook the color staining his cheeks, but even more so that they would not see the fierce protectiveness building in his heart.

"Cher, wait…"

Remy still stood by the door, feeling shaken and confused. Logan froze, taking a deep, shaky breath before he spoke.

"You can sleep in the bed tonight, Cajun… ya been through enough. I'll take the couch. Now go to sleep."

Remy's words of protest went ignored, as only the bathroom door was present to hear them. 

"What be happening to Gambit…"

He stood for several long minutes, staring at the place where he had last seen Logan's well muscled back, trying to justify the reason why his head was swimming and his cheeks felt as if they were burning. With an uneasy sigh, he turned towards the bed, climbing beneath the sheets Logan had just recently occupied. Remy could still feel a spot of warmth where Logan had slept, and he curled up into it like a kitten. Logan's scent was heavy on the pillow beside him, and he pulled it close, burying his face against it. The smell was strong, deep and wild, yet slightly sweet, and though it tickled his nose, he pressed his face deeper into it, drifting into a slightly more peaceful realm of sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan stood staring into the bathroom mirror for a long time. Why _had_ he brought Remy here? Why had he acted the way he did? And why on earth was he.. blushing?? He stripped off his clothes and climbed into the shower, turning the hot water down as low as it would possibly go. The water was absolutely freezing, and so was he. This was what he needed though, for with the cold came clarity of mind. He stood beneath the icy spray for nearly and hour, simply thinking.

He thought about Rogue's death. An unknown virus, they had told him, thought to be harmless to mutants and possibly even to humans. Yet somehow it had interfered with her unique DNA, causing her powers to mutate further. However, the reaction of her changing powers clashed with the powers of all those she had ever absorbed, causing what would be a fatal reaction. Professor X had told him they did not yet know how she had contracted the virus, but that they hoped to discover it soon. They told him there was nothing he could've done, but he knew that wasn't the case. He vowed then that he would see Rogue's death wasn't in vane; and that his own pain would be avenged. That made him remember Gambit. Remy… sweet Remy who suffered worst of all. Logan was old and tough, he'd faced death before, and while it hurt badly, he had long since learned to live with the pain. But Remy… Remy was young and tender. He had faced loss too, but could he stand through this pain? The thought of Remy tossing and turning, plagued by nightmares night after night made Logan's stony heart ache. The wave of protective love that washed over Logan unnerved him, making him feel uneasy. He shrugged it off, telling himself it was nothing, no different than the love he felt for Jubilee or Kitty…. Or Rogue. Climbing out of the frigid shower some time later, Logan dried off, shaking the remaining water from his wild mane. 

Stepping back out into the bedroom, he found Remy looking so tiny and helpless curled up in his huge oak bed. Logan began to blush all over as he felt a sudden urge to hold the sleeping boy. Shaking off the edge, Logan lay down on the couch, pulling up a blanket. He left a small lamp on, in case Remy were to wake up, confused by his surroundings. Laying his head on the flat, uncomfortable cushion beneath him, Logan tried to sleep. However, the much desired rest would not come, and instead, Logan found himself watching Remy from across the room for the rest of that endless night, for the first time in many, many years feeling slightly scared about what life might be throwing his way next.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sometime near dawn, Logan finally gave up on the thought of sleep, sitting up on the torturous couch.

"Jeez, Chuck, ya shouldn't let Jeannie pick out the furniture. As if the fact that it's got FLOWERS wasn't enough," 

He mumbled under his breath, shaking himself all over before finally standing, his aching muscles slowly relaxing as his healing factor kicked in. However, he found himself still aching inside. Deep beneath the adamantium, in a place his healing factor could never reach, he found himself hurting more keenly than he could ever remember hurting in his life. He strode over to the window, peeling back the curtains. The first, hazy light of dawn warmed the frigid room and revealed the layer of soft, white powder that was beginning to coat the ground. The sigh that escaped Logan's lips was anguished, and his head drooped. 

"I know, Cher… she use to love de snow." 

The broken voice from beside him sent him into defensive mode, muscles tensing for battle, until he saw the tortured demon eyes of the man next to him. 

How had he…?

The cat like stealth the Cajun possessed unnerved Logan; he'd never been caught off guard… ever. However, the sigh Remy released as he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth and reassurance, paired with the fallen look in the red on black eyes dissolved Logan's anger and apprehension. Instead of defending his wounded pride, he took a deep breath

"Yeah… she'd always seem to know when it was snowing, she'd wake up right away and run and bang on my door. She was always so excited, she'd beg me to go out flyin with her in the snow… in the middle of the night! I never did. Just not my thing, ya know? I'm too old for that kid stuff, playin in the snow and all. Besides, I like keepin my feet on the ground. She'd look so crest fallen though, but she'd just disappear down the hallway before I could call her back. Eventually she stopped askin me…. I never knew if she ever found anyone to go out flyin with on those nights…" 

His voice trailed off, and they stood silently for several minutes before Remy's nearly inaudible voice answered.

"She did. Ma first year here at Xavier, de only room dey had for me ta go was in de ladies wing. Ma room was right next ta hers, and one night, I wake up to de sound of tears. It was so cold…I was freezin ma tail off through a pair of flannels and jeans, and a sweatshirt. Turned out ta be snowin. She let me in through de connectin door, and she told me how much she love de snow, and she wanted ta fly wit someone, but no one would go wit her. She t'ought no one loved her. I went flyin wit her dat night, and every first snow dere after. I never forget de smile on her face.. I tink does were de only times she was truly happy. Just glad he got ta be part of it, me…" 

His voice broke, and Logan could smell the tears even before he heard them fall upon the window ledge.

"Ah kid…" Remy gasped as strong arms wrapped around him, eyes flying wide in shock, red and black eyes locking onto cobalt blue for a split second before looking away. 

"God, kid… your freezin!" 

But of course he would be, Logan realized as he held Remy, who was trembling all over, clad only in a pair of well-worn, paper-thin jeans. Warm, callused hands rubbed up and down Remy's back, trying to warm the icy skin. 

"Now no more cryin, ya hear? You and I both know she wouldn't have wanted it that way. Fact, she prolly woulda dumped snow in both our shorts for bein such a couple a grumps on the first snow." 

They both couldn't help but laugh at the thought, and for a moment, the tension eased, and Remy let his arms slip around Logan, returning the hug. Logan's hands continued rubbing up and down Remy's back, warming his skin and relaxing the tired muscles. 

"His skin is so soft"

The thought rang through his head again as he pulled Remy closer to him, breathing in the strange spicy scent of him; so beautiful. Logan suddenly realized his smell was similar to Rogue's, only strong where hers had been delicate, and distinctly masculine. Warm and spicy, like the Cajun atmosphere he'd grown up in. For a moment, the ache subsided as he soaked in the smell and feel of the man in his arms. 

Remy snuggled closer into the embrace, a sleek, cat like movement that made Logan's blood run hot. The feline appeal was only enhanced by the soft purring noise that tickled Logan's ear, causing him to force back a soft growl of his own. Instead, Logan nuzzled Remy's hair. 

"Oh, that's soft too"

Logan's hazy mind seemed to register as he rubbed his face against it. Nudging Remy's hair aside with his nose, Logan saw a soft silver glint through the wavy auburn strands. Investigating, Logan found Remy's ear, pierced by a silver hoop. 

"That's funny" he thought to himself, "never knew the kid had a pierced ear" 

Logan caught the small silver hoop between his fangs, tugging gently, his breath hissing in Remy's ear. Remy whimpered softly, and this time Logan couldn't suppress a growl. Long, lean, thief fingers dug into Logan's back as he began tonguing the thin curve of metal as it slid through soft Cajun flesh. The soft hitch of breath, then Remy carefully squirming away from the soft bite Logan had on his ear. Remy looked into Logan's eyes, searching for something; he wasn't sure what. His mind was buzzing, and suddenly he found their lips were inching closer together, their noses touching, lips… 

"Everyone, report to the Ready Room immediately"

Logan and Remy practically jumped apart as the Professor's telepathic message echoed through their minds. Blushing, they both stood staring at the floor for several moments before Remy broke the silence.

"I better go ta my room and get dressed. I meet you in de Ready Room, Cher." 

Logan nodded and Remy hurried out the door and down the hall to his room, the door still a mass of splintered wood. 

"I hope Gambit not gonna have to pay for dat…" 

The Cajun thought to himself, throwing on his shoes and a black shirt, grabbing his jacket and hurrying to the Ready Room, his mind and body still buzzing with excitement from his encounter with Logan. 

"What on earth be happenin ta Gambit…?" 

He sighed and tried to calm his boiling blood, saving the question for later contemplation. Luckily, he heard the quickly approaching sound of footsteps.

"Hey Gambit, wait up!" 

Jubilee's voice echoed off the corridor walls, waking any remaining sleepers. He turned just in time to catch her as flung herself at high speed into his arms. 

"Gambit glad ta see you too, Petite." 

And lately, he had found he was genuinely glad to see the bubble gum blowing teenager. Something about that cheerful, carefree smile.

"Gambit, have you been crying again?"

She tried to sound as if she was scolding him, but the concerned note in her voice rang out all too clear for him to miss. 

"How you be able to tell, Petite? Gambit eyes always be red…" 

He playfully ruffled her short, dark hair and she batted his hand away, complaining she'd just brushed the wild raven locks, which he rather doubted. They both laughed and continued to joke as they walked to the Ready Room, and for just a short while, Gambit found he was able to forget about Rogue… and Logan.


	4. The Legacy of Virus X

"All right, is everyone present?" 

Professor X asked as he entered the room. 

"No Professor, it seems _Wolverine_ is missing" 

Scott sounded like a whiney child. Jean stared at the table in front of her, humiliated by her husband's immature behavior since Logan had returned from Japan. Was he still afraid of Logan "stealing" her from him? As if she were even an object to steal! She tried not to gag. This was getting to be too much for her…

Gambit looked around in shock, realizing suddenly that Logan was in fact, missing. He felt slightly uneasy, but shook it off. It was Logan; he was always late, non? Just his little way of making it look like he didn't really care.

"Has anyone seen Logan this morning?" 

Remy felt Scott's gaze burning into him as strongly as if their leader had not been wearing his protective glasses.

"Uhh… oui, mon prof, Gambit see him dis morning. Gambit was, uh… talkin ta Logan when ya called." 

Gambit felt everyone's gaze resting heavy upon him. What had Remy and Logan been doing together at 5 in the morning that would make the wily Cajun blush? Just then the door burst open and Wolverine casually strolled in, seating himself across from Gambit in the only remaining chair. The Cajun sighed with relief; happy to no longer have the burning gaze of his teammates focussed on him.

"Hey, Wolverine, where's your yellow spandex?"

Scott voiced the question on everyone's lips with a little more mockery, however, than everyone felt was needed. Logan mumbled, avoiding everyone's gaze 

"It didn't…uh… fit right today." 

Scott laughed insanely, and Jean elbowed him hard in the ribs. Scott coughed and choked for a minute before he managed to sputter.

"Getting too flabby around the middle for the old team suit?" 

"Somethin like that" 

Logan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, praying his jeans hid what the yellow spandex had only made painfully obvious. Just in case, he made an attempt to cross his legs, casually taking the folder in front of him on the table and leafing through it; hoping no one would notice the bulge in his jeans that was obviously not caused by eating too many Twinkies. Suddenly he froze, his eyes catching on Rogue's name as he had flipped through the pages. 

"Chuck, why'd you call us here?" 

Logan slammed the folder shut immediately, cobalt blue eyes burning. 

"Now that you are all here, I will tell you just that." 

The professor moved to the center of the room, where a large monitor occupied most of the wall.

"You see, with the help of Doctor McCoy, we have been able to determine how Rogue became infected with the virus that led to her untimely death, and ultimately, the source of this virus."

Remy bit his lip and took a deep, shaky breath. Suddenly, he felt someone's hand slide into his own. He looked over to see Jubilee had moved next to him and now held his hand. He smiled, squeezing her hand lightly, whispering 

"Thank you, Petite," 

From across the table, Logan couldn't help but watch Jubilee and Remy. The ache in his bones seemed to intensify as he noticed the two still held hands, but he pushed it aside, turning his attention to the professor, who had turned on the huge screen. 

"Thanks to the countless hours of study and research of Doctor McCoy, we have been able to isolate the particular strain of the virus that killed Rogue. This is a previously unrecognized virus and for now will simply be called virus X. It originates in the Savage Lands, in Antarctica. From what we can gather, this virus has thrived there for centuries, proving harmless to the inhabitants of the Savage Lands, both human and mutate alike. We have concluded that, having lived along side this virus their entire lives, the people of the Savage Land have become immune. When we entered the Savage Land, all of our powers were neutralized for a short time. It was during this brief state of vulnerability that Rogue contracted virus X."

Professor X paused. 

"Oui, mais. if dat be so mon prof, den how come only she be dead now and not de rest of us. We all loose our powers in de Savage Land."

Remy stood, his eyes brimming with tears, voice only a few notches below yelling and barely containing his rage. 

"Please, Remy, I know this is hard for all of us, especially you, but let me explain." 

Jubilee gently tugged Remy back into his seat, hugging him to her tightly. He deftly slipped an arm around her shoulders in return. However, his eyes had locked onto Logan's, and the two men shared a brief gaze of mutual pain and understanding.

"Gambit is right, it could have been any, or even all of us who contracted the virus. However, the true course of the virus is not as we saw it in Rogue's case. The original virus X found in the Savage Land is thought to be harmful only to humans. You see, the human immune system is very weak compared to that of mutants. Virus X is able to enter the human body as easily as the common cold might. However, while a cold attacks the respiratory tract, virus X goes directly into the blood stream. While there is no known cure for virus X, there are repressive treatments. If not treated immediately, virus X is deadly to 99.9% of humans who contract it. This is because virus X attacks and eliminates all of the body's white blood cells, leaving it utterly defenseless. With no defenses left at all, the patient cannot fend off something so slight as the common cold, and usually dies within 48 hours of having come in contact with virus X. Now, as I have already said, virus X is allegedly harmless to us as mutants because of our advanced immune systems. However, perhaps you may recall the machine with which Sinister attempted to transfer the powers of one mutant into the body of another, thereby increasing the original powers of the second mutant. Out of all of us, only Rogue was placed within this machine. Doctor McCoy and myself have reason to believe that this machine, for a short while, completely stole her mutant powers, but actually negated her mutant genes temporarily. We believe this to be the reason that Rogue contracted, and later died from virus X, and none of us became ill." 

Scott opened his mouth to interrupt, but Professor X hastily continued. 

"However, because she quickly regained her mutant powers there after, her invulnerable immune system was able to fight the virus. However, because of the nature of virus X, it is incapable to ever completely remove from the blood stream. In this state, virus X lived in her blood stream for nearly a month before it began to mutate within her, reacting with her DNA to become a super virus." 

A computer-generated diagram of Rogue's body appeared on the screen, showing a sequence depicting a strand of Rogue's DNA before, during, and after the mutation of virus X.

"You see, virus X accelerated the mutation process within Rogue's body at an unhealthy rate, ultimately breaking down her own DNA. However, at the same time, it inhibited her ability to control the powers of mutants she has previously absorbed throughout her life, and her own body began to tap into the powers she had been previously unable to use, and used them against herself." 

Throughout the final minutes of his speech, the screen behind Professor X continued to run the computerized sequence of the virus' course within her body. The image now faded, and the room became silent. 

"Professor…" 

Scott broke the silence.

"Rogue was the only X-man who underwent the process of Sinister's machine, but Magneto did as well! Wouldn't that mean he's dead too?" 

Scott barely attempted to hide a smug grin. 

"You are right that it is very likely Magneto contracted virus X, however, I know for a fact that he is not dead. This is why I have called you here today, X-men, for I have an important mission for you. However, seeing as how Rogue's death is still fresh on many of our hearts, this mission is completely optional, and it will not only be understood, but honored and respected if any of you should choose to stay behind." 

The screen came on once more, this time with a map of Magneto's underground base, located in the Canadian wilderness.

"X-men, I believe that Magneto did, in fact, contract virus X. He discovered this fact quickly, and took repressive measures. However, not before he extracted a sample of the virus from his own blood stream. I believe Magneto intends to isolate this sample of virus X and introduce it into humanity with the intention of killing the entire human population of earth. However, I fear that, as in Rogue's case, the virus may have mutated into a super virus, and that perhaps he would be introducing a stronger, more powerful strain of virus X that may prove just as lethal to mutants as it is to humans." 

Scott stood before the last word was even out of Xavier's mouth. 

"I'm ready Professor, we'll be waiting in the Black Bird."

Scott was out the door before Xavier could protest. However, everyone was staring at Jean, who was still sitting in her chair, arms crossed over her chest, eyes closed to hide the anger behind them. She remained firmly seated, showing no sign of following her husband, despite his announcement that "we" would be in the Black Bird. Several minutes of silence ensued before Professor X continued, acting as if Scott had not left. 

"I know everyone was caught off guard by this announcement," 

He looked over at Logan, clad inconspicuously in jeans and a tee shirt.

"So I would like all of those who wish to go on this mission to leave promptly at 5 tomorrow morning. For the remainder of the day, I advise you perhaps run a session in the Danger Room and rest up. Even I don't know what this mission will bring…" 

Professor Xavier's voice trailed off as he exited the room, leaving the X-men in silent contemplation.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After several minutes of stunned silence, Storm stood, silently walking around the circular table at which they sat. She paused to give Remy's shoulder a comforting squeeze and a soft kiss to his ruffled auburn hair, both of which could only have been described as goddess worthy. She then disappeared out the sliding metal doors. Jubilee looked around restlessly, anxious to go but not wanting to leave Remy. Ice Man and Beast left next, the latter swinging from the ceiling beams casually until the sound of a Twinkie wrapper being rustled in his friend's pocket caused a chase to ensue. The departure of the "bestest buds" left only four X-men to sit in the awkward silence that still hung heavy in the room. Logan's growl of frustration sliced through the remaining oppressive tension that had bound them all after the Professor left, and with that he stormed out of the room. For several minutes Gambit stared out the door, wondering what had made Wolverine growl, and where he had gone. Jubilee's gentle but insistent tug on his sleeve broke his revere, and he smiled at her, standing and herding her out of the room, leaving only Jean, who still sat, eyes closed, arms crossed, fighting back tears.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan stomped up to his room, throwing open the doors and collapsing onto his bed. What the hell was happening to him? He was disgusted with himself; not only had he been filled with jealousy by the way Jubilee held Remy's hand through the whole meeting, but even worse, he had actually gotten hard when he had been holding Remy earlier! Heartbroken Remy who needed him as a friend, as a lifeline to cling to. He curled up into a ball, forcing himself to admit that what he felt for Remy was nothing like what he felt for Jubilee and Kitty. Nothing like it, for this was wrong. He branded the words in his mind, forced himself to believe it. He rolled onto his stomach, hiding his face in the pillow. Groaning, Logan pulled the pillow closer, breathing in Remy's scent, which still clung to it from the previous night. He just wanted to wrap himself up in that smell, pull it around him like a blanket.

"Damnit!" 

He threw the pillow away in disgust, fighting back the urge to go and find the source of the scent; the longing to wrap himself up in Remy… not just a blanket. Suddenly he sat bolt upright, a quiet knock on the door breaking his thoughts. He tried to stand, but found his legs had become awkward and useless beneath him. Steadying himself, he hurried over to the door, taking a deep breath before he opened it. At first, it appeared no one was there, until he lowered his gaze from where he had expected to find Remy, instead finding Jean, on the brink of tears. 

He opened his mouth to ask if she wanted to talk, but before he could speak he found his mouth covered by hers, her tongue pressing inside. Logan's eyes flew wide in shock and he stood, absolutely stunned for nearly a minute before he realized Jean was pushing him towards the bed. He started to fight and found he suddenly couldn't move. 

"Jean, what the fuck is going on?!" 

Logan bellowed, struggling harder to regain his ability to move.

"Shhhh…" 

Jean covered his lips with the tips of her fingers.

"I know why you didn't wear your spandex today Logan, you need this as much as I do…" 

Her voice trailed off as she pushed him gently onto his back on the bed, climbing on top of him. 

"Jean, get off me. Your making a big mistake…" 

She ignored his words, straddling his hips as she bent to kiss him once more. Suddenly, there was a second knock on the door, followed by a soft creak as Remy entered. 

"Cher, I…" 

Time seemed to freeze as Remy's gaze locked onto Logan's, leaving Jean staring back and forth between the two. 

"Gambit sorry.. Didn't mean ta intrude…" 

His voice was laced with tears as he turned and ran out the door. The psychic restraints now broken, Logan pushed Jean away, reaching the door just as it shut in his face. Logan let his head fall against it in disappear, punching the heavy wood so hard it groaned in protest. Meanwhile, Jean just stared at Logan, eyes wide, jaw hanging open. Jean's mouth moved silently for several minutes before she could manage to find her voice.

"You…. And Remy?!?!" 

With a sigh, Logan sunk to the floor.

"No chance of that now."

There was no trace of the usual anger Logan would have shown in such a situation, only a despairing sadness. 

"But… but.. you… and…. REMY??? But I thought…" 

Jean started to cry, her body wracked with sobs. With much effort, Logan stood, taking Jean in his arms. 

"Now hush, none of that. You had no idea. To tell you the truth, I barely did myself. You're just goin through a tough time with Scotty right now. That wouldn't have been the best way ta solve it anyway. I can't really give ya the support you need right now, Jeannie, and I'm sorry for that. But I'm having too many problems of ma own to think straight, and now I've gotta try and set things straight with Gumbo." 

Jean nodded.

"I'm sorry," 

She whispered, kissing Logan's cheek before she left. Logan sank down onto the bed with a sigh, reaching for the pillow he had earlier thrown from him. He nuzzled it now, smelling once more the sweet scent that was already beginning to fade.

"Oh Remy…" 

Logan whispered, forever staining the pillow with shining crimson drops of pain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tensions in the Danger Room were dangerously high. Initially, the occupants had included Beast, Iceman, and Storm, running a typical trial sequence. However, several minutes later, Jubilee had entered looking for Gambit. Finding he wasn't there, the emotionally exhausted teen had planned to leave, until Iceman "accidentally" froze her feet to the floor. At this point, the trial sequence quickly became nothing more than an obstacle course through which Jubilee chased Bobby, taking off her now sopping wet shoes and socks and throwing them at him. Storm couldn't help but chuckle to herself, though she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, making a rather weak attempt to reprimand the two youngest X-men. She was just about to leave when Cyclops came in, his anger barely contained. 

"Angel!" 

He called to the man in the control booth.

"Change the setting to Level 10 holographic, Magneto's Lair,"

He paused for a moment.

"And Jubilee, put your shoes on right now!" 

He screamed at her, sending everyone into stunned silence. Suddenly the metal doors slid open and closed once more. 

"Gambit tink dat yellin at de petite aint necessary, mon ami. Your anger t'aint at her," 

Picking up a dripping wet sock in front of him, and two equally wet shoes, Gambit walked over to Jubilee. His face was stony as he rung out the sock, then charged his hands, using the heat to quickly dry Jubilee's shoes and socks, the other of which she had still been holding in her hand, ready to throw. Once these were dry, Gambit turned to face Scott once more, who had reached his boiling point, face red with anger, the veins of his neck bulging. 

"Start the simulation!" 

Scott bellowed, leaving Jubilee to hastily put her shoes back on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan stared his reflection in the mirror for a long time. Since his encounter with Jean, Logan had been completely on edge, fearing that in Gambit's current emotional state, he might do something to hurt himself. However, also since Jean's departure, he found the yellow spandex to be fitting properly again. That fact unnerved him worst of all. He sighed, not knowing what to think, deciding some time in the Danger Room was what he needed to get his mind off of the conflicting emotions raging inside him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inside the Danger Room, Beast took the rising anxiety as his cue to leave, deciding that if this session ended how he feared it would, it would be best he be in the infirmary as a doctor, not a patient. Especially since Jean had not been seen since the end of the meeting. As the doors shut behind him, Hank heard the first blasts of what he supposed were Scott's optic beams. With a sigh, he hurried off to the infirmary to prepare the sick bay. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gambit dove towards Jubilee, knocking her out of the way just as Scott's optic blast hit dangerously close to where she'd been standing, a shower of rock and debris falling, releasing a huge cloud of dust. He quickly pulled her behind a pile of crates before Scott could see them, not trusting the rage he could feel emanating from his teammate. Remy didn't realize he was still holding on to Jubilee until he felt that her whole body was trembling. He pulled her close, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her. 

"Petite, I want you ta stay here, a'right? Scott real mad right now and Gambit don't trust him not take dat anger out on anyone he can. You just stay hidden for now and watch out fer yo'self," 

He whispered, kissing the top of her head before darting out from behind the stack of crates, leaving Jubilee staring after him. 

Logan cracked his neck, first to the right, then to the left, shaking himself all over before entering the Danger Room to find a session already in progress. 

"Looks like Magneto's place," 

Logan thought to himself, his guess proven correct as a holographic representation of Sabertooth lunged at him. Several quick swipes of Logan's claws proved the program was hardly accurate, as the hologram version of Sabertooth was destroyed. Logan crept into another room of the holographic world as he attempted to get his bearings. Several quick sniffs told him Storm was nearby, but so was another hologram. A flash of lighting proved both theories correct as well, and with a grin, Logan moved into another room. Empty. Another. Empty. Logan continued along the corridor, staying as far into the shadows as possible. Eventually he reached the main chamber, where a fight between the X-men and Magneto should have been occurring. However, to Logan's surprise the hologram of Magneto was nowhere to be seen. The room, in fact, appeared to be empty. However, his keen sense of smell told him otherwise, and cautiously he entered the room. Staying in the shadows, Logan darted behind a pile of crates. 

"I've been waiting for you, Logan,"

Scott's voice broke the silence of the room. Logan stepped out to face his opponent, who appeared to be Mystique, disguised as Scott. An optic blast shot towards Logan, but he had been expecting it and dodged it easily. He rolled away from the flying debris the blast had caused, coming to a halt as a boot clad foot connected with his ribs. Logan grunted as he looked up to find that his attacker was not a holographic Mystique posing as Scott, but the real Scott Summers, standing above him. Logan stared in disbelief, sniffing the air only to find the smell of human flesh and blood… and hatred. Scott's boot pinned him to the floor, and his hand was poised against the side of his visor, ready to release his mutant power against his own teammate. 

"You should have stayed in Japan, Wolverine…" 

Scott's voice was laced with rage, and a touch of insanity, leaving Logan to stare up at him, helpless for the first time he could remember.

Suddenly, there was another explosion, and more debris flew. Before he could dodge, a large chunk of wood hit Scott, knocking him to the ground several feet away from Logan.

"Logan may deserve whatev'a revenge you got planned for him, mon ami, but Gambit fraid it gonna have ta wait 'til another time" 

Both men looked up to see Gambit, demon eyes aglow, a second card already charged in his hand. For several agonizingly long moments, he stood, chest heaving with emotion, still poised to throw the card at either of them, until he felt Jubilee's hand slide into his free hand. Slowly, the glowing card dimmed, and he crumpled it, dropping it to the ground. Heavy lids dropped over tear filled eyes as he looked away. With a sigh he turned, putting his arm around Jubilee. 

"Come on, Petite, I t'ink it best we be goin now."

They walked back down the corridor of the holographic tunnel and out the metal doors, the simulation fading behind them. Logan stared after them, dumbfounded. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in the infirmary, Doctor McCoy had prepared a medical supply kit, and several beds. 

"Better safe than sorry, I suppose," 

The furry doctor mused to himself. 

"Oh, I don't know, Hank, sometimes a little something unexpected is just what the doctor ordered." 

Turning to face the speaker, his witty reply died in his throat. Standing before him was Jean, clad in, what appeared at first, to be only her white medical coat. However, as she unbuttoned the three small white buttons that ran down the front, the flaps fell apart, revealing a black lacey bra and a matching thong. It took Hank several minutes to recover his voice, but at last he found it. 

"Jean, I believe you're very upset right now because of marital problems you're currently having with Scott. Because of these problems your not thinking clearly…"

At this point Jean shrugged off the white coat, walking towards Hank, who began talking faster. 

"And… and because of this, you're looking to meaningless sex with others as an outlet for your emotional pain…" 

Hank began backing up as she continued towards him, reaching behind her back. 

"And Jean.. th..this will only hurt your relationship with Scott further. This isn't…"

By now he had backed himself up against one of the beds he had prepared. The room fell silent, and a soft "click" could be heard, followed by the smooth slither of lace falling to the floor. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jubilee looked over at Gambit as they sped past the school gates. A thin layer of snow still clung to the grass and trees, but the road had since been cleared of the powder. It was absolutely freezing out, yet Gambit seemed not to notice; just as he seemed not to notice her presence beside him. The red and black eyes were glazed over, which should have scared her. Instead, she couldn't help but think how beautiful those demon eyes were. She sighed as she watched him; he was so beautiful. Everything about him was beautiful; those eyes of course, but his smile, the long mass of auburn hair that the wind blew back from his face, the full lips currently set in a pout. Even his pain was beautiful. She barely even registered she had slowly begun inching closer to him…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Logan, what happened?" 

Storm asked again, trying to wake Logan from the trance he seemed to be in. He blinked up at her, then looked over at Scott, who had lapsed into an unconscious state. Brushing himself off, Logan stood. He then tried to lift Scott, motioning for Storm to help him carry the limp man. 

"Better take him to the infirmary, least there he won't hurt himself,"

Logan sighed at the sickening turn of events.

"Or anyone else…"

He couldn't help adding to himself as they each supported Scott with an arm around his back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gambit closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the icy winter air as he sped down the road in his convertible, top down. It was freezing, he had to admit, even with his duster, but he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything. For a while after Rogue's death, he'd cared about supporting his teammates, helping them through the loss. It had taken nearly a week to do that. Then he had focused on avenging his beloved Rogue, but no one knew how she had even gotten the damn virus, so what could he do? Then he was just beginning to care about Logan. He mentally cursed himself. He should have known better! If any of the X-men exhibited pure, unbridled masculinity, it was Logan, there was no doubt there. He sighed. It took a tangible effort, but Remy managed to push all thoughts from his mind for several minutes. Until, that is, he felt a soft flutter against his inner thigh, just above the knee. It was only years of training that kept him from swerving at the shockingly sudden touch, especially considering how intimate it was. Who…? Jubilee… Jubes. Until that moment, he'd forgotten she was even in the car with him. He quickly glanced sideways, thinking that perhaps he was hallucinating. A scan of the road ahead and he did a double take; shocked when he didn't see the same cheerful kid he'd hugged that morning. No… beside him was definitely a woman, full grown breasts pressed against his arm, shorts exposing an expanse of smooth, tanned thighs. But it was her eyes.. Her eyes sparkling up at him with a woman's needs. Remy swallowed hard as that small hand fluttered higher, and this time he did swerve a little…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Halfway towards the infirmary Scott woke up, breaking away from Ororo and Logan with strength neither had expected. Wide eyed, the two watched as Scott tried to run down the hall the rest of the way to the infirmary, first hitting a wall, then a table, before he fell to the floor. Storm approached the fallen man, dropping and rolling as he fired an optic blast in her direction before he stood once more, breaking into an unstable run.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A growl echoed down the corridor, followed by a crash as something hit the floor. 

"Oh Hank… you really _are_ a beast!" 

Jean moaned, followed by the sound of metal instruments hitting the floor. Pushing Hank aside, Jean straddled him, her girlish giggle quite unbefitting to the devilish movement of her hips grinding against his. 

"My dear, I had no idea…" 

Hank moaned in response to her sudden show of dominance, one large hand seeking out her exposed breasts. Suddenly, the door to the infirmary crashed open, sending the lovers into a scramble for something to cover themselves with; stopping as they realized no material on earth could shield them from the burning gaze of the man in the doorway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jubilee gazed up into Remy's eyes, watching his face as she stroked his thigh higher and higher. Even when the car swerved on the icy road, she barely noticed, except as a sign she was doing well. Her fingers skittered slowly up the remaining length of denim clad thigh, nearly reaching her destination before Remy's soft warm hand caught hers. Bringing that hand to his lips, Remy kissed it, rubbing his face against it, eyes still on the road. 

"Gambit t'ink it better you don't do dat, petite," 

His voice was cold and broken as he returned her hand to her own lap. Tears began to build in Jubilee's eyes, until she felt his arm wrap around her in a gentle, yet protective embrace. Laying her head on his shoulder, Jubilee snuggled closer to the older man, a smile on her lips as the car turned off into a parking lot.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jean, I always knew you were a tramp, but with Beast?!?" 

Scott's voice held more than a hint of insanity by now as he raised his hand to his visor, firing his optic beam directly at the two lovers…


	5. Love or Sex

Jean screamed as Scott's optic blast connected, taking out an entire wall of the infirmary. Jean was hyperventilating by the time she opened her eyes to see Logan had Scott pinned to the floor, claws unsheathed and poised for the kill. She clung to Hank, hiding her face against his strong shoulder as she awaited the inevitable. Hank drew her close to him, shielding her in his arms as they waited to hear the sound of adamantium ripping through flesh and bone. However, the sound never came, and the claws slowly retracted. Pulling Scott from the floor by the collar of his shirt, Logan punched him hard, once, right beneath the visor in the soft spot beneath his left temple. Scott crumpled to the floor, rendered once more unconscious. 

"You all right?"

Logan asked the trembling couple who could only nod silently. Tossing them a couple of blankets, Logan turned to walk out, calling over his shoulder, 

"Hank, take her back to your room, alright? I don't trust to leave her alone tonight."

Jean caught the underhanded meaning behind his words, staring guiltily at the floor. However, Jean forgot her guilt as Hank wrapped one of the blankets around her, hoisting her into his arms. 

"Come along, my dear, lets get you somewhere safe before he wakes up,"

By now, Professor X was on the scene, arriving just as Hank strode down the hallway, a nearly unconscious Jean in his arms. 

"Don't ask…"

She murmured before her head sank against Beast's soft shoulder. Professor Xavier didn't need to.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first place Logan checked was the garage. As he had feared, the red convertible was missing. For nearly two hours, Logan paced the school, his frustration mounting as he soon realized Jubilee was missing as well. With a heavy sigh, Logan entered the kitchen for what was something like his tenth or eleventh time that night; he'd long since lost count. He opened the fridge, making sure no one was watching before he opened the vegetable bin. Pushing aside a bag of shriveled carrots and some moldy lettuce, he found his secret stash of beer. For five years now he'd had his secret stash hidden here, and never once had anyone found it; not even Cyke. Logan sighed again as he popped the top of his beer with the tip of one claw. What would Jean do now that Cyke lost it? He took a swig of his beer, pulling a stool up and sitting down, loosing himself in thoughts of Cyke and Jean, which eventually led to thoughts of Remy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several bottles of beer and two hours later Logan was woken from his reverie by the sound of the front door squeaking open, followed by the hushed giggles of Jubilee, and Gambits soft 

"Shhhh"

in a playful attempt to quiet her. Logan abandoned his beer, creeping into the hallway, which was pitch black, even though it was only 9 o'clock. Crouching in the shadows, Logan was thankful for his good night vision. From his vantage point, he could see Gambit and Jubilee were holding hands. As they reached the two stair cases that led in opposite directions to the dormitories, Gambit turned to look at Jubilee. 

"T'ank you, Petite. Gambit need tonight more den he ever knew."

Bowing before he, he gently kissed her hand, sending her into a fit of giggles. Logan flared with jealousy as he watched Jubilee hug him. Standing on tip toe, Jubilee kissed Remy's stubble covered cheek, before she backed slowly towards the stairs leading to the women's dormitories. 

"G'night, Petite,"

He smiled at her retreating figure. 

"Night, Cajun,"

Jubilee's voice was slightly husky, and Logan could smell the pheromones pouring off of her. Involuntarily Logan's claws began to unsheathe themselves. The only thing that kept him from using them was the odd mixture of scents radiating from Gambit; scents that briefly replaced his jealousy with concern. Gambit stood and watched her climb the staircase that led to her room, turning towards the men's dormitories only after he heard her bedroom door close behind her. He strode towards the adjacent staircase, taking a deep breath. 

"Logan, ya know dese eyes aint just fer charmin de femmes,"

The color rose in Logan's cheeks as he remembered too late that Remy's unique demon eyes gave him excellent night vision as well. Stepping into the dim light beside the staircase, Logan looked at Remy. He seemed much older than Logan recalled, and he had to fight the urge to reach out to the broken hearted man before him. 

"Kid, we need ta talk…"

Logan began with a sigh. 

"No, Logan, dere aint nothin left ta discuss here. We even now, you save my life, I save yours. I don't ask no questions bout what I saw b'fore, you don't tell me not'in. We even, Cher, leave it at dat…"

Remy's voice was colder than ice as he cut Logan off, turning abruptly and heading up the stairs. He was halfway to the top before Logan started after him, determined to settle this now before the situation became more complicated. 

"Remy, please…"

Logan swore under his breath as a sharp, sudden pain hit his cheek. Testing his fingers against it, he found a small, deep cut on his cheek, a thin line of blood dripping from the wound. On the ground beside him lay the King of Spades, the right tip red with blood. By the time Logan looked up again, there was no sign of Remy. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the infirmary, Professor Xavier was tending to Scott. From what he had learned from his telepathic link with Jean, he figured it best he look after Scott personally, as seeing either doctor right now might send him into a new frenzy. Charles couldn't help but sigh; perhaps he was the leading telepath in the world, but not even his advanced mutant power helped him at this point. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in Beast's room, Hank lay beside Jean on his bed. Currently she was asleep, but he couldn't help watching her. Of course he was attracted to his medical partner; he was only a man after all, and she a woman. One of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Gently he brushed aside a strand of hair that seemed to tickle her nose, smiling to himself as she sighed in her sleep. Could it be that at long last he'd found a woman who could accept him as he was? 

"I wish she'd wake up so I could ask her,"

The thought echoed through his mind, and apparently through hers as well, as her eyes fluttered open, taking in the large blue form beside her. However, Hank never got to ask his question as he found his mouth covered by Jean's once more. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan ran up the flight of stairs, chasing behind Remy. 

"Hey, get back here, I'm not through with you,"

Logan dodged as a second card, this one lightly charged with kinetic energy, came hurtling at him. A small explosion shook the second story hallway. 

"Well Gambit through wit you, Cher,"

Gambit turned his back on Logan, infuriating him. Gambit reached inside the pocket of his duster for another card, but before he could grab one, the Wolverine pounced. As Logan's tight, muscular body connected with Remy's, they both fell to the floor, locked in a battle of strength. For what seemed an eternity, and was in fact merely a few minutes, the two men rolled around on the floor of the hall. Remy dug his nails deep into Logan's arm, but the physical pain paled beside the hatred he saw in Remy's eyes. Logan didn't want to hurt Remy, but knew his only chance to explain himself was to pin him, thus winning the fight. 

Remy was furious. So Logan was interested in him after all; interested in a quick fuck anyway. By this point Gambit concluded he was lost, doomed to live in misery, or join Rogue in whatever afterlife may await mutants. However, misery was no longer an option, and Remy fought as a man who wanted to die, full intent on taking his pride with him. 

The two men continued to roll around, biting and scratching when they could, each staking their life on their personal victory. However, Logan was loosing patience with this game, adamantium claws springing from his hands. As Logan found himself momentarily on top, he plunged his claws forward, driving them deep into the floor on either side of Remy's head, anchoring himself solid. Remy thrashed beneath him, arms pinned at his sides as Logan sat on top of him, trapped beneath his captors weight. 

"Non… non, can't end dis way, I die before he have his way wit me…."

The words ran through Remy's head as he writhed furiously in an attempt to throw Logan. As he tossed back and forth, his head knocked against Logan's claws, and tears began to stream down his cheeks in pain and frustration. The claws in Logan's right hand retracted, cupping the side of Remy's face in his hand, stroking his auburn hair in an attempt to calm the younger man. "Hey, kid, come on, don't do that, your gonna hurt yourself," But Remy was beyond the point of hearing him, struggling harder against the gentle touch. Logan retracted his left claws as well, chancing the possibility that Remy would throw him. Logan stroked Remy's hair away from his eyes, soothing the forehead that was now beginning to bruise from hitting against Logan's claws. For several minutes Logan continued his stroking, whispering to Gambit in a soft tone until his thrashing ceased, leaving him exhausted and panting beneath him. 

"Fine, you want Gambit's body, you won it, Cher! Just get on wit whatever you want and leave me alone!"

Logan stared blankly down at the man beneath him, mouth agape. The pain and hatred in Gambit's voice was unmistakable and wounded Logan deeply. 

"How could he even think that?"

Logan tried to meet the tear filled eyes beneath him, but Gambit turned his face away. 

"Alright, kid, fine. But it's not your body I want, it's your understanding. When you walked in before, it wasn't like you thought, kid. Jeannie through a little fit, and well… she wasn't thinkin' so clear…" 

Remy's jaw tightened, his mouth set in a firm frown. He didn't so much as blink at this admission.

"Damn… look at me, Rem… come on. I just… "

He sighed heavily, tipping Remy's stubborn chin rather roughly until their eyes met.

"Hell, I don't even flamin' want Jeannie like that anymore!"

Now it was Logan that was avoiding eye contact.

"Look, kid…Its up to you whether or not ya believe me, but it's the truth, I swear it to ya. I'd never hurt ya, ever…" 

And with that, Logan leaned in close to Remy, lightly brushing his rough lips against the gentle, yielding ones beneath him, sending Gambit into shock.

Logan opened his eyes slightly several moments later, gazing into demon eyes, still wide and unblinking. Gently he a stroked a few loose strands of hair from Remy's face before bending to kiss him again. This kiss was firmer, yet sweeter, although Remy still lay motionless beneath Logan. Warm, firm hands caressed tan, Cajun skin; a high forehead, stubble covered jaw, down to his throat. The soft touch seemed to draw him in, as the glowing eyes closed in surrender, and the rigid body relaxed slightly. Ever so lightly, Logan's tongue flicked out between his fangs, caressing Remy's lower lip.

Gambit felt himself being pulled in by Logan's tender words and equally gentle touch, yet he fought it with all his might. However, the tides of emotion were rising and had begun to pull at his heart, weakening his will to resist. But suddenly Remy felt the flicker of Logan's tongue against his lips, striking a spark of desire deep inside him. The desire quickly turned to anger though, as Remy realized that the game was not over after all; Logan was still playing and the stakes were high.

"De stakes are ma body…" 

Remy corrected himself bitterly. He had never been good at losing.

Logan felt Remy begin to relax beneath him. He shifted slightly, still pinning Remy's arms, but removing some of his weight from the Cajun's chest, allowing him slightly more movement, along with proper use of his lungs once more. However, no sooner had Logan granted Remy some space, then he felt Remy tense up again. The younger man moved too quickly for Logan's pleasure dulled senses, simultaneously breaking the kiss and throwing Logan off of him. Logan grunted as he hit a wall, slumping against it. The sound of Remy's quickly retreating footsteps ringing in his ears. Logan heaved a great sigh, letting his head fall back against the wall as a new crowd began to gather, curious to see what had caused such a loud thud. Logan growled at the few unwise mutants that got in his way as he stood, storming into his room and slamming the door behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jubilee paced the floor of her room, her yellow silk nightgown fanning against her thighs with each abrupt turn she took. 

"I love him…"

She repeated the words over and over in her mind. 

"I…need him…"

This second thought echoed the first, and no matter how much she fought it, it would not go away. As time wore on, her declaration of love became a murmur, nearly drowned out by her need. She sank to the bed with a sigh, hiding her face in her hands. In a fit of frustration she punched her pillow hard, biting back a sob. The mansion had been a scene of chaos since Wolvie returned. No, she corrected herself; since Rogue's death. It wasn't Wolvie's fault; he was just trying to cope with his own pain. Yet somehow, she knew his presence was hurting Remy, deeper than he'd already been cut; and by now the blood was starting to run black. Jubilee curled up on her side, waiting for her world to stop spinning quite so fast, needing something to hold on to. The sudden knock at her door made her jump, breaking her train of thought. Shakily she stood, taking the few unsteady steps to the door and pressing the side of her head against the wood. 

"Who is it?" 

She asked, her voice sounding more surprised than she had meant it to be.

"Who you t'ink, petite?" 

Jubilee tried to hide her shock and excitement as she opened the door, letting the brooding Cajun in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gambit wasn't the only one brooding. Back in Logan's room his morale was at a shockingly low level. He couldn't remember feeling this way before; especially not over someone he wanted. And never ever because of a man. He turned those few phrases around in his mind, and at last he growled, forced to admit the truth. No, not wanted… needed, but not just for pleasure. Needed to hold, to protect, forever. 

"You want to make him your mate…" 

The dark, animalistic side of Logan was persistent in this thought, and while at first it had terrified him, he was beginning to find that the Wolverine was right on this one. He had to act, and fast. He didn't know why, but he could feel there wasn't much time for him to prove himself once and for all to Remy. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Gambit sorry ta intrude, petite…" 

He whispered as she quickly waved him in. 

"Just need to talk ta someone, and I trust you wit dis more den anyone else." 

Jubilee sat on her bed, expecting Remy to sit beside her, somewhat surprised when he instead chose the floor in front of her bed. 

"Petite, Gambit need your advise real bad," 

He pleaded, taking her hands in his. 

"Course, Remy… ya can always talk to me…" 

She tried to smile, secretly fearing her spiraling world was about to plummet further.

"Dis bout Logan, petite… Gambit got no right tellin ta you, I suppose, but, I need your advice…" 

Now he was stalling and Jubilee could see it. She squeezed his hands reassuringly, putting aside her own pain, determined as always to help the man she loved in any way she could. Staring at the floor, Remy started at the beginning, telling Jubilee the events of the past couple days.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was currently nearing midnight, but Logan could not sleep, driven by his need to make things right with Remy. He prowled the mansion, looking everywhere he thought the Cajun might be. Obvious places like Gambit's own bedroom, which was still littered by shards of door and a broken lamp. He tried the kitchen, the Danger Room, the Garage; everywhere he could think of. The only other place he could imagine that his demon eyed Cajun might be was in Rogue's old room. No… he cursed. Not _his_… not yet. 

Logan climbed the stairs leading to the women's dormitories, surprised to find a few rays of lamplight radiating from beneath one of the doors. Who else was up at this hour? Approaching the door, he saw it was covered in stickers and had a magazine clipping with a picture of David Bowie. 

"This has gotta be the kid's room," 

He smiled to himself, super sensitive hearing picking up the whisper of her voice. He leaned in closer and caught a scent; Remy. Rage overcame him and he nearly removed yet another door, until he heard his name. Pressing his ear closer he could hear Remy talking, tears in his voice. 

"Petite, Gambit don't know what ta do bout Logan… what you think?" 

Logan heard the restrained emotion in Jubilee's voice as she answered.

"Remy… do you love him?" 

There was a long silence that seemed to drag on forever. It took all three nearly a full minute to realize they had stopped breathing. 

"Oui, petite…" 

Remy's voice cracked with unshed tears. 

Jubilee first felt a hollow ache radiating from the center of her being. However, the pain slowly began to numb. She had long since become use to having her heart broken by the older men she loved who still considered her a "kid". She swore at herself for thinking things would be different with Remy. She was 19 now and even Bobby still treated her like a child. However, she pushed these thoughts aside for now. Remy may not love her, but she still loved him and he needed her. Putting aside her pain she smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile for the teary eyed man before her.

Outside the door, Logan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Remy… loved him? A glimmer of hope sparkled deep in his icy heart. Yet he felt guilty for eaves dropping and he told himself he should leave. But now the voices were talking again and he was drawn in anew.

"Well then why the heck are ya here cryin ta me, Cajun! Go talk to him!"

Logan could here the shimmer of hurt that still caused her voice to waver ever so slightly, however her enthusiasm seemed truly genuine.

"Petite, I don't t'ink Logan interested in dat way…." 

He could hear the shame creeping into Remy's voice and cursed himself for causing it. He longed to run in and take Remy into his arms but restrained himself.

"But Remy, from what you told me before, he sounded genuine about his feelings…"

Remy cut her off, tears in his voice. 

"No petite, Logan not like dat. You know him better den dat. Logan only got a place for de femmes, not a po' ol' tief like ma," 

As Remy became more upset his accent grew so thick Logan had a hard to discerning what he said.

"Look Remy…"

Logan heard the unmistakable sound of silk sliding against cotton and a bit back a jealous growl. 

"Logan isn't one to lie to someone he cares about, and whether you believe it or not Logan does care about you. He cares about all of us. He wouldn't hurt you like that Remy… and I know you believe that deep down. Why are you really so scared of being with him?" 

Another breathless few moments of silence as Remy thought. 

"Gambit scared of getting hurt, but not by Logan. By Wolverine… by de animal in him, de anger, de hate he got deep down." 

Remy paused for a moment and Logan's heart skipped a beat. 

"Also.. Gambit worry bout Rogue, worry she wouldn't forgive ma…" 

This time it was Jubilee who cut in, a note of anger in her voice. 

"What, you think she'd want you to spend the rest of your life alone and hurtin? That's not what love is, Remy, and you know it. Rogue would have wanted you to be happy!" 

Jubilee's voice got louder for a moment, and both men could feel the intensity of her feelings on the subject. 

"Petite, I just scared I forget bout her, I don't eva wanna forget her. I wanna do her right, ya know? Make sure she not died in vane, but most of all, ta neva forget…" 

Logan heard the soft sound of movement, what he assumed was a hug, or had better be at least. 

"You don't have to forget, Remy. I don't think Logan would have it any other way. He loved her too, just as much as you did if that's possible…" 

Jubilee was holding Gambit now, both of them kneeling on the floor.

"You right, petite. Rogue wouldn't want ta see me hurtin like dis no matter what. You right…" 

Logan thought his voice sounded very thoughtful. At that moment he wished desperately that he were a telepath. Apparently Jubilee felt the same way. 

"What's on your mind, Remy?" 

To which Remy was once again silent for several moments. 

"Oh petite… Gambit scared still. I love him. I know dat. Just never…" 

Logan could feel Remy's blush from outside the door, and he could only imagine how red the Cajun's face must be as he stuttered for a moment. 

"Never been wit another man… ya know?" 

Logan found himself fighting a blush as well. Hell, of course he'd thought about having sex with Gambit… who hadn't? The kid practically radiated pheromones on a regular basis. And, while the details had become slightly clearer in the past few days, he'd never really thought about what sex with Remy would mean. Sex with a man… that brought up words like "top" and "bottom" and "lube" and… 

"Stop it.. damn!" 

Logan shook himself all over as the words conjured up images and he found himself painfully adjusting his jeans. Thankfully the whispery voices on the other side of the door were rising, drawing his attention off of Remy's body.

"Petite, Gambit best be goin. It near one in de mornin now, and we leavin for de mission at five."

Logan was surprised, though he knew he shouldn't have been, but Jubilee's jaw dropped with surprise. Suddenly the charm was back, not at its fullest, but certainly there. Logan could feel it before he heard it in the Cajun's soft, rumbling voice.

"Don't look so surprised, Cherie… you t'ink Gambit gonna let you go runnin round Magneto's place all on yer lonesome?" 

Logan felt the sour ache of jealousy. 

"I can take care of myself just fine, Remy… I think its Logan we'll have ta keep an eye on," 

They both laughed and Logan felt the pain recede a bit, consoling himself with the thought that Remy loved him. Silently, he rushed back to his room before either could discover he'd been listening. 

"T'ank you, petite. You right bout movin on. And I don't know bout Logan though. Till Gambit sure I can trust him, t'ink I keep my distance, non?"

"Just don't be too hard on him, ya hear? If ya hurt him, Bub, you'll have me ta answer to…" 

Jubilee mimicked Logan's icy gaze, succeeding for a moment before bursting into a fit of giggles. They both laughed, and Jubilee hugged Remy one last time before he left. As the door closed behind him the smile faded instantly and she crumpled to the floor as if all her strength had followed Remy out the door. She curled her body into a tiny ball as the heartrending tears broke free at last.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She was asleep again. She had simply woken up, demanded wild sex, which had lasted no longer than 10 minutes, then went directly back to sleep. Hank sighed, closing his eyes. This just felt… wrong. He stood, careful not to wake Jean, and padded softly towards the bathroom. A nice warm bath was truly what he needed, perhaps with some of those lovely lilac bubbles Jubilee had gotten him last Christmas. There was no time for that right now though; a shower would simply have to do until they returned from the mission. Whenever that might be. Stepping beneath the warm spray of the shower, Beast released a content sigh. For just a short while, the warmth helped him relax and forget about the ache inside. Until of course, he felt Jean's naked body rubbing against his back, her hand slipping around to his stomach, trailing slowly lower…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Through the night, Scott's condition had only worsened. Professor X had stayed beside him through the worst of it, doing what he could. However, Scott's physical condition was not an issue. Apart from a light bruise where Logan had punched him, he was fine. It was what was going on inside that seemed to be hurting his first student. Professor X was weak at the moment, although he would never admit it. He had not slept an undisturbed night since Rogue's death, and the toll was weighing heavy on his psyche. It was because of this he had hesitated to tap into Scott's troubled mind. However, Scott had since entered a state of delirium, thrashing wildly on the small hospital bed. Professor Xavier saw no other option at this point, and he reached out to Scott in his mind. 

The pain and hatred that rushed through the link was almost unbearable, and it took several minutes for him to fully adjust. However, once the rush had passed he saw the images that flashed through Scott's troubled mind. Scott saw himself as not only the leader of the X-men, but as the man responsible for them and all their actions. Through Scott's eyes Professor X was a wise father figure that tried to guide them all in the right direction, but in the end Scott took the weight of their actions fully upon his own shoulders. It was because of this that Scott despised Wolverine. Through Scott's eyes Charles saw Logan as an irresponsible, bloodthirsty beast. No restraint, no thoughts or feelings, simply a predator that saw the X-men as an excuse to release his blood rage on a regular basis. And now, the predator was stalking new prey; Jean. He saw Scott's possessiveness for Jean, his demand for obedience and compliance in all things. Had Charles not been within the pull of Scott's emotions he would have felt a strong pity for the red haired telepath. However, as things were, Scott's attempt at murder seemed the only rational option. He was their leader and such actions blatantly defied the respect he deserved as such. Through the link passed scenes of brutal murder, slow torture before a violent death. Especially for Logan… and now Jean as well. Even from within the pull of Scott's emotions Professor X was disgusted by the images he saw, quickly pulling away, his mind reeling. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hank's hand caught Jean's in his own, stopping it in its tracks. He turned to face her and she quickly slid her thin, muscled arms around his waist. He pushed her away, looking into her eyes. 

"Jean, what are you doing?" 

She smiled slyly, a sultry look coming to her eyes. 

"Nothing yet, but we can easily change that…" 

She tried to reach him but quickly realized she had no chance of squirming free unless he allowed it. 

"Jean, you know what I mean, why are you doing this? Are you here because you want me, or because you just want?" 

He stared Jean down, the intensity of his gaze seeming to burn her and she pulled away from him, retreating. 

"I just…need…" 

Her voice trailed off, and Beast tried to contain his pain. 

"Well my dear, then I'm afraid you've come to the wrong man."

Yes… he was a man. He reassured himself of this. He may look like a beast, but he was a man deep inside with human needs, like the need for love, and acceptance. Jean burst into tears, becoming hysterical. 

"But… but Logan didn't want me! I have nowhere else to go! Please don't leave me alone… please…"

Her voice trailed off when she saw the resolve in his eyes. She ran from the shower in tears, leaving Hank to stare at the wall. She hadn't even wanted him… he was… a last resort. Through the haze of his shattered heart he didn't even hear the door close behind Jean as she left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By the time Professor X finally recovered from his venture into Scott's mind it was nearly four in the morning. Using most of his remaining mental powers Charles Xavier erected a mental wall around Scott's mind. He would be immobilized and guarded from all psychic powers until Professor X himself removed the walls. Charles laid Scott's limp body across his lap on the wheel chair, pressing a button on the control panel before the chair raised slightly off the ground, hovering down the hallway. They entered an elevator which would take them to the professor's private quarters, where he had decided Scott would stay for the time being. Once the unconscious man was resting peacefully in a guest room opposite the one in which Professor Xavier slept, the exhausted telepath called upon the last of his mental strength, calling out to his X-men, gathering them for a final meeting before their mission. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This time Beast was the last to arrive at the Ready Room; fur still damp and sticking up in rather unceremonious clumps. He seated himself as far from Jean as he could muster, which was unfortunately only two chairs away because of his late arrival. This placed him between Bobby and Jubilee. Bobby, of course, made a joking remark about drowned blue rats, to which he merely grumbled and swatted at his best friend's hand, which was trying to fix a particularly bad clump. However, despite his own pain, Hank couldn't help but notice Jubilee's silence. He the young girl's eyes were slightly puffy from recently shed tears, her body so tightly curled up in the tiny chair he wondered how she'd ever manage to stand up afterwards. For now he put this aside, deciding to take it up with her later. 

Professor X smiled wryly at his X-men; they looked as worn as he felt. Even Jubilee who was usually full of life and vigor looked like she'd been crying. Charles cleared his throat before he began to speak.

"My X-men… I feel your weariness as strongly as I feel my own, yet this mission is very important to humanity, as is it too putting to rest painful memories. However, I regret to inform you that Scott, the usual X-men leader for such missions, will be unable to accompany you. Ororo, I would be in your greatest debt if you would assume the position of leader for the time being."

She nodded in acceptance. 

"Yes, Professor."

Out of the entire group, Storm was indeed the only one who looked as if she'd had any sleep at all the previous night. None of the other X-men seemed to begrudge his decision though; they each seemed too concerned with their own problems. 

"I would also like to ask Jean, if you may be so kind, to stay behind with me at the mansion for the time being."

She nodded, grateful for an excuse to sit this mission out. Sure, she was sad when Rogue died, and as exciting as saving all of humanity was, she had problems of her own right now. 

The Professor's second announcement received a bit more attention, as Beast looked rather relieved, and Logan cocked an eyebrow, looking from the Professor to Jean, then back again. Gambit in turn seemed to be observing Logan's reaction, looking for something, the Professor couldn't guess what and decided not to waste his depleted energy on snooping. 

"All right, if everyone is prepared then, I'd like the rest of you to leave immediately."

"Hey wait, I got a question…" 

Bobby looked around at the slightly annoyed expressions from a couple of his teammates, but decided this was very important. 

"How come we're goin in there without gas masks or somethin? Won't we catch the virus?" 

Before the Professor could answer Jubilee was on her feet. 

"Bobby, don't you ever listen at all?!" 

The anger in Jubilee's voice took everyone aback, and they could only watch her outburst with mild shock as she let Bobby have it. 

"I swear! And you always treat me like I'm a kid! At least I listen during these meetings instead of gorging myself on TWINKIES!! "

There were a few more harsh accusations before she sat down, crossing her arms in indignation. However, she never exactly did explain why they wouldn't get sick, only that he was stupid for asking. Luckily Hank leaned in and whispered 

"You have to loose your powers to catch virus X" 

"Ohhhhh…." 

Bobby nodded in understanding and Jubilee sighed, disgusted. However, she was more disgusted with herself than Bobby at the moment. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Even as they left the Ready Room and headed towards the Black Bird, Remy remained lost deep within his own thoughts. In fact, he barely even blinked an eye until he felt the soft brush of skin against his fingertips. At first he thought it was Jubilee, but another touch of the large callused hand against his own proved that thought wrong. Remy turned his head slightly, demon eyes catching and holding on ones of blue silver. When had those eyes become so gentle? He couldn't recall ever seeing that rugged face ever looked so… concerned. But suddenly Logan's fingers began closing in around his own, and Remy tensed. Long elegant fingers broke free of the butterfly hold Logan had on them. Logan's head drooped with disappointment, though he couldn't help noticing Remy had not pulled his hand away completely, allowing their fingertips to brush together occasionally. 

Beast strode down the hallway, watching Jubilee and Bobby argue. Their current fight seemed to be apologetic in nature though, and he smiled at some of the witty quirks they shot back and forth. However, when Logan had briskly passed him he had begun to watch, curious to see why the burly man was in such a big hurry. It was thus that he happened to encounter the strange drama unfolding before him. His jaw had literally fallen open when he saw Logan try to hold Remy's hand. Suddenly, as he saw the deep glance the two exchanged, he realized perfectly the cause of Jubilee's misery. Like himself, she suffered of a broken heart.


	6. Ma Chere

Logan seated himself far enough from Remy so as not to make the young man uncomfortable, but close enough to keep an eye on him. However, Logan found he wasn't just watching… he was blatantly staring at Remy, practically eating him alive with his eyes. Remy sat with his long, graceful legs tucked beneath him, his head laid out on the armrest. His body was twisted in a way that looked like it must have been painful, but the demon eyes were slitted, showing only the dimmest glow of red from beneath his long lashes and he appeared to be dozing off. Logan mused that the Cajun looked like a kitten, soft and peaceful, curled up for a nap. It took every fiber of Logan's being to resist the urge to pet him.

Logan wasn't the only one watching Remy though. From the other side of the Black Bird, Jubilee watched Gambit as well, her eyes veiled with tears. She was so preoccupied she didn't even notice when Henri McCoy sat down beside her. It wasn't until he took her trembling hands in his own that she looked up. 

Jubilee quickly snatched her hands away with a gasp, nearly tumbling from her precarious perch on an arm rest in response to the unexpected touch. She had been so lost within her own thoughts that she hadn't even heard her friend Hank sit down next to her. His head now drooped; eyes filled with a pain at her involuntary response. He looked genuinely surprised when Jubilee reached out, taking his large blue hands in hers, bringing them up and laying her cheek upon them. Jubilee was equally surprised by her actions, but somehow it just felt… right.

Once Storm had brought the Black Bird to the proper altitude, she had sat the auto-pilot feature and gone to discuss her plan of action with her teammates. However, she'd been rather shocked by the three different scenes that met her. First thing she noticed was Logan sitting in the seat beside Remy, who appeared to be sleeping. Logan's hand hovered in the air above Remy's head, stroking over the cinnamon colored hair, reverently caressing the silky strands. On the other side of the plane, Henri McCoy was holding Jubilee, her small form nearly lost in his big blue arms. Her head lay snuggled on his shoulder, both of them staring at some invisible image in the distance, eyes glassy with exhaustion and deep thoughts. Right at the back of the plane, was Bobby, a nearly empty box of Twinkies in his lap, and a pile of wrappers on the seat beside him. None of the X-men seemed to have even noticed her presence. Storm cleared her throat, rather annoyed by the lack of response it got her. The second time, she coughed rather loudly, though this gained her no more attention. Her goddess-pride hurt and her patience run low from the recent drama at the mansion, she sent a quick electrical charge to the plane's metal interior, which proved most effective, shocking her fellow X-men quite literally back to their senses. 

Remy bolted awake, jumping back in his chair. However, his head came in contact with something extremely hard, and he yelped. The Cajun's surprise only increased as he found himself being pulled close against Logan as the older man began rubbing the sore spot, which turned out to be a result of abrupt contact with those same adamantium-laced hands. Remy quickly pulled away, rubbing the new lump for himself. 

Likewise the remaining X-men jumped to attention, looking to their new leader, slightly annoyed by the rude awakening. 

"Alright, everyone, I would like to discuss our plan of action for the mission. This is very important, and while I know none of you are at your best right now, I expect you to give your all to this mission." 

Storm paused, looking from face to face. 

"The objective of our mission is to infiltrate Magneto's base and retrieve the sample of virus X contained there, keeping the sample intact if at all possible. However, if the sample cannot be retrieved thus, it must be destroyed. I believe that Gambit is best suited to the job of retrieving the sample, while the rest of us remain posted at entrances and exits in case of emergency. Gambit, do you accept?"

Storm looked to Remy. Her surrogate brother looked exhausted, physically and emotionally, and she had to fight back her concern for him, knowing as leader she was required to think for the team. 

"Oui, Stormy… Gambit go down dere for you. It de least I can do… don't want no one else havin' to feel dat pain like Rogue did…"

His voice sounded slightly shaky, but the determination in his eyes was unwavering. However, the man sitting beside him didn't look so keen on the idea. 

"Thank you, Gambit. Wolverine and Jubilee, you will guard the main entrance, IceMan and Beast, you take the back. I'll stay posted above to keep an eye on things. Now everyone, remember, this is a very low-key mission, and we must avoid any conflict if at all possible. We aren't at our strongest right now, so we must use stealth and discretion and avoid conflict at all costs until we as individuals, and as a team, have regrouped and recovered our strength sufficiently." 

Storm turned to assume to her position in the pilot's seat when Logan and Jubilee simultaneously called after her. 

"Wait!" 

Jubilee blushed, and Logan looked rather embarrassed himself nodding for Jubilee to go ahead. 

"We aren't just gonna… ya know… let Gambit go in there all by himself are we?" 

Logan was relieved that she had voiced his same question, only with much more eloquence than he probably would have put it. 

"Jubilee, Gambit is skilled in stealth, as well as combat. He can take care of himself adequately, and if trouble were to arise, we would be able to intervene as well. He won't be left alone; we will all be within ear shot if a problem were to arise." 

Jubilee nodded, embarrassed, and Logan motioned Ororo to resume her seat in the cockpit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the flight to Magneto's lair was very awkward. Remy had curled back up in his chair, this time keeping one eye open, refusing to let his guard down again. Logan unsheathed about an inch of his claws on his right hand, examining them. He tested the points against the black leather of the chair, leaving little holes that went unnoticed. While Logan made an effort to completely ignore Remy's presence at this point, Jubilee had now begun to stare, drifting into her own world once again. Meanwhile, Beast had gone to the back of the plane, snatching the Twinkie box away from Bobby, finishing the two remaining Twinkies himself. A Twinkie wrapper fight soon ensued, and the laughter of the "bestest buds" eased the tension slightly.

Logan didn't look up from the chair cover he'd been slowly mangling until the plane landed. He'd felt slightly uneasy since Storm's announcement that Gambit would be the one to sneak in. 

"Its just a routine mission, the kid's done this kinda thing prolly a hundred times before, get a grip…"

Logan continued to mentally reprimand himself until they exited the plane. As they began their trek towards the base, Logan took a deep breath, stopping in his tracks. He sniffed the air carefully, trying to pinpoint what had alarmed him, finding nothing unusual about the scent. Shaking himself, he quickened his pace to catch up with he group, beginning to feel that perhaps this routine mission wasn't going to be quite so ordinary.

Once Magneto's lair was in sight, the X-men split up. Ice Man and Beast circled back through the trees, while Logan, Jubilee, and Gambit made for the main entrance to the underground lair, which was inside an old warehouse. The warehouse looked to be long since abandoned; the metal exterior was rusted, the windows clouded with age. As the three X-men neared the front of the building, they were shocked to see that the doors were wide open. 

"Somethin aint right here… it aint like Magneto to just leave the doors wide open."

"Wolvie's right… we've nearly killed ourselves just tryin to break into his hang-out before!" 

Jubilee's voice sounded downright scared, and Logan was concerned enough that the little nickname went unnoticed. Remy had to agree, they both were right. 

"Just make t'ings easier for Gambit, mes amis. I be back wit dat sample in a flash…" 

With that, he disappeared into the warehouse, leaving Jubilee and Wolverine staring after him. 

The inside of the warehouse was a maze of old, rusted machinery, and Remy often had to duck to keep from hitting his head on a collapsed ceiling beam or part of a dismembered machine. 

"Merde… look like somet'in outta dose cartoons de petite always watchin'…"

Remy cursed under his breath, half expecting to see a big, brown, talking dog run by chased by a guy wearing a white sheet. This thought coerced a chuckle from the tightly pursed lips as he wove his way around unsuccessfully for nearly 10 minutes. He was just about to give up when the sheet of rusted metal he was standing on crumbled, and he started to fall, crying out with surprise.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Outside the warehouse, Logan had begun to pace; everything was much too silent for his liking. Even the soft, subtle sounds of the forest were missing. Magneto's joint was never this quiet… ever. Logan had been here before on several other missions, and although the base itself was about a mile beneath cold, hard Canadian soil, the tunnels reinforced by thick layers of metal, his animal-keen hearing had always been able to pick up on the sounds of life below. Of course, with creatures as crass as Toad and Sabertooth around it shouldn't have been a surprise. Actually, now that he thought of it, he couldn't recall even picking up Creed's distinct scent since they arrived. A wave of panic assailed Logan a split second before he heard Remy's scream and he was already in motion by the time Jubilee could react to the sound. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remy fell for what seemed like an eternity; his head spinning as his eyes tried to adjust to the pitch-black surroundings, which were quickly flying by. 

"Dis must be what Alice feel like goin down dat rabbit hole…" 

Gambit mused to himself. All thoughts fled though as he landed on cold, aching metal, his body quaking in protest to the impact. He gasped sharply for breath, closing his eyes against the spirals of color that wouldn't go away. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan darted into the warehouse, slashing through old machines as he fought his way to the secret entrance to Magneto's lair, ripping the iron grating from the hole in the floor near the back wall, dropping into the subterranean maze. Wolverine sniffed the dank, musty air, looking for any signs that the Cajun had been through and which way he might have went. However, Logan was surprised to find no trace of him.

"C'mon, kid… don't be pullin' this stealth shit on me…" 

The Wolverine was getting anxious now, he knew he'd heard Remy's scream, knew he was in here somewhere, and possibly hurt. He took off down the main corridor to the right, ears pricking as he heard metal splinter and crash somewhere ahead of him. 

"Hang in there kid… I'm comin' for ya…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For several minutes Gambit lay panting in the cramped darkness, the pain ebbing in his blood. Once the spots of color had dimmed and he had regained his breath, he tried to move. Bad idea. Instantly he was aware of a sharp pain in his side and the sickening sound of metal giving way beneath him. However, the weak spot in the metal wasn't large enough for his entire body to slip through without getting caught, and he found himself hanging upside down, bits of rusted metal and drops of his own blood falling in a flurry around him. He wasn't sure how long he dangled from the ceiling before someone disentangled his skin and clothes from the metal above, but he was conscious enough to notice how carefully maintained the strength of those hands was controlled.

Logan kicked down one door, then another, demolishing each entrance he came across in his attempt to find Remy. His Comm badge continued to blink continuously, but he ignored it for now, desperate in his attempt to find the young Cajun.

"Merde… what happen?" 

Remy tried to sit up but found a gentle pressure against his chest stopping him. 

"Now stay still, swamp rat… ya hear me?" 

The soft, husky southern drawl sent his eyes shooting open, and his vision swam in pools of green and the sweet curve of red lips. 

"C…Chere…? Dat you?" 

Remy's hands trembled as they found hers, covered in a shield of butter soft black leather. There were no words in response, only the flutter of leather clad fingers freeing themselves from his grip and coming to stroke his bruised forehead and the brush of her lips against his hair. Remy lay motionless, sinking back onto the cold concrete floor, melting beneath the warmth of her smile. His mind was so clouded that by the time he noticed she was leaning over him, her lips were already mere inches from his. 

Logan froze in the doorway of the last room of the very long hallway, jaw-hanging open in shock. The door had been open, framing the scene before him as if it were merely a photograph. Wolverine growled a warning at the strange figure leaning over Gambit, her features hidden in a shroud of russet curls. Her head jerked back at the sound, the veil of her hair parting, leaving Logan in shock as he stared into the familiar, frightened green eyes that were framed by a few loose strands of white hair. The next few moments happened so fast, neither man was sure exactly what had happened. There was a flurry of movement; the dip of a head, the brush of lips against lips, slide of soft pink tongue against open mouth, and then she was on her feet and darting out a side door connecting to an adjoining hallway. 

He rushed to Remy's side, kneeling beside the now unconscious Cajun, his concern overpowering his curiosity and the urge to follow the girl. Taking the limp man in his arms, he brushed back the long bangs and examined the handsome face, now graced with a slight smile. Logan gently ran a thumb over the soft lips, puzzled by the light purple tint, which was quickly fading.

"Damn… what the hell is goin on here?" 

He gathered Remy up into his arms, surprised by how light and fragile he felt. Logan held the young man for a long moment, lips pressed into his hair in a cherished kiss as he breathed in a deep lung-full of the kid's spicy scent. Logan then lifted him, supporting the graceful curve of neck and dead weight of head on his shoulder as he began the walk back to the blackbird. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan met the others in the hallway on his way back. Jubilee had become near hysterical after hearing Gambit's scream and Logan's abrupt disappearance and had contacted Storm immediately. After countless attempts to contact him, Storm had declared a code red abort, and the X-men had gone in after their teammates. 

"Oh, my stars!" 

Hank ran to Logan, snatching Remy away and laying him down, beginning an emergency examination. 

"Logan, what has happened to my brother?" 

Storm looked equally angry and worried as she looked from Logan, then over to Hank and Remy. 

"Not sure, Ro… but Magneto aint here, and the kid's down, we need ta get outta here." 

"But what about the virus?" 

Jubilee's voice sounded weak with worry as she kneeled at Remy's side, careful not to get in Hank's way. 

"Indeed, my dear… what about that virus?" 

A strange voice echoed from the darkness, and all heads shot up. The voice sent a sudden chill down Logan's spine, but it was Remy's unconscious whimper of fear that had the adamantium claws out and the Wolverine poised for battle. The laugh that spilled from the darkness could only have been described as… sinister.

The form from the shadows slowly became visible. Blue, boot clad feet were followed by legs long and thick as tree trunks. The torso was equally thick and muscled, framed by the numerous blue spider-leg strips of his cape. As he stepped into the light, he raised his head, revealing glowing red eyes and an equally wicked smile. 

"Sinister!" 

It seemed to be an eclectic gasp of shock. 

"That's Mister Sinister…"

He laughed as Storm stepped forward as the leader of the X-men, eyes clouding over as she called upon the electric powers she controlled. 

"Ah, Ms. Munroe, I think you might want to reconsider before zapping me. You know it will not harm me. However…, seeing as how this entire tunnel is a huge electrical conductor, I don't know how well your fellow X-men might fair, especially those of the Southern variety… "

The spider-legs of his cape parted and Sinister reached beside him, wrapping his hand firmly in the lengths of white and auburn hair he found there. 

Logan assessed the situation carefully. Was that really Rogue, or just one of Sinister's tricks? He had not seen Rogue die, hadn't been there when they had buried her in the earth. For all he knew this could be her. But if it was, Sinister had definitely done something to her. The woman before him was thin, looked as if perhaps she'd been starved. Her usually vibrant green eyes remained constantly downcast, and she did not fight as he used her hair as leverage to throw her to her knees.

The X-men had been so distracted by the woman who bore a shocking resemblance to their lost teammate that they did not notice Gambit awaken. In fact, no one even noticed him at all until he staggered to the front of the group, planting himself firmly between Logan and Storm. Logan glanced over at the unstable man beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder for moral support, as well as to steady the younger man's balance.

They watched, helpless as the young woman on the floor tried to stand, and for the first time Logan noticed the clothes she had been wearing when he found her with Remy were gone, or at least mostly so. Shreds of the green body suit could still be seen across her sparse frame and the gloves were gone. As she moved shakily to her knees, Sinister advanced, pushing her back to the floor with his foot in the middle of her back. 

"Stop it!"

Remy stepped forward before Logan or Ororo could stop him, tears brimming from the red on black eyes. 

"Stop what? Oh… you mean this?" 

With that Sinister kicked her in the side, sending her sprawling across the floor. 

"Oui… that"

Remy's voice was cold and deadly as a hand dipped into the pocket of his duster, thumbing the deck of playing cards as he continued to advance towards Sinister, now standing only a few feet away. Sinister reached down to the fallen woman and hoisted her up by the shreds of cloth barely covering her breasts. He then punched her, releasing her to crumple back to the floor, a thin trickle of blood running down her chin, crimson a stark contrast against snowy skin. 

"No.. I don't think I will…" 

With that, Remy charged at him, a fury of cards showering down to explode on and around the evil mutant. 

The exploding cards however, served only to infuriate Sinister, and Logan looked on in horror as Remy was caught in the backlash of Sinister's counter attack, his dulled senses unable to dodge the blow. With a feral growl, the Wolverine came to life as he saw Remy fall, running at Sinister with claws exposed. The remaining X-men followed suit, attacking Sinister in any way they could. Meanwhile, Hank moved off to where the auburn haired woman lay motionless on the cold, hard concrete floor. He managed to pull her to safety just as a misguided card exploded a few feet away. 

The battle that ensued was one of the bloodiest Storm could remember. Unfortunately, most of the blood shed was there's, as Sinister seemed to heal almost as quickly as they could inflict new injuries. Jubilee had since been thrown from the fight, and Hank was attempting to revive her, as well as the mysterious woman. The last thing Storm remembered before she blacked out was two blinding red orbs burning into her eyes, and pain that swallowed her whole body. 

Logan leapt on Sinister; knocking Storm from his grasp before any further harm could be done to their stand-in leader, who just happened to be one of his closest friends as well. Logan anchored himself to his foe with six long, sharp claws, which he buried deep into Sinister's chest. The wicked mutant cried out in agony as adamantium sliced through layers of muscle, skin and bone before he could knock the burly Canadian away. However, when Sinister gained the strength to throw Wolverine, he threw him hard, tossing the adamantium-laced skeleton into the wall hard enough to leave a dint. 

Mister Sinister turned towards Gambit once more, the only remaining X-man standing, and just barely at that. Sinister's wounds had already begun to knit themselves closed and he advanced on the swaying Cajun. Remy felt around in his duster pocket, finding he had only three cards remaining. 

"Merde… If I could just get him away from de others… maybe den I use ma staff… take 'im down once an' fo' all…."

Remy thought to himself as he began to back away as Sinister continued to advance. However, Remy's coordination was completely shot, and he had problems enough walking forward. His knees buckled and as he fought to regain his balance he somehow tripped over the back of his duster and fell to the floor, his bo-staff falling and rolling out of his reach. When Remy looked up, Sinister was standing over him. He bent and grabbed Remy by the front of his duster, lifting him up off the floor so he was eye level with the struggling young mutant. 

"LeBeau, that's a nice woman you've managed to get yourself. Although, you probably wouldn't know, would you? I'll just tell you… that skin is so soft, so perfect…"

"What you do to her Sinister?!"

Remy's stomach churned at the thought of those disgusting hands touching Rogue. 

"LeBeau, I'm surprised at you… you know I have no need for such things…"

Sinister roughly pushed Remy's hair back from his face, delighting in the anger, hatred, and confusion he found in those devil eyes. 

"Besides, that woman there is something of a daughter to me, I must confess."

The crestfallen look on Gambit's face elicited more sickening laughter. 

"You knew she was dead, LeBeau. Although, I must admit… it seems some of your little friend's memories remained intact during the cloning process. Indeed, not only does she know who you are.. But she kissed you!"

One of Sinister's hands released the duster, long thick fingers wrapping around Remy's exposed throat, squeezing hard enough to restrict the flow of air as the young Cajun began to squirm and kick in midair. 

"Well, I couldn't stand for that, could I? I fear I had to resort to some violence. After all, what kind of loving father would I be if I did not punish her?"

The hand on Remy's duster slowly released, leaving him suspended several feet from the floor by his throat. 

"Oh, I won't bore you with the details… I doubt you have time to hear them anyway…" 

More laughter 

"Just think of it this way, LeBeau. I'm actually doing you a favor by giving you this quick, easy death. Would you like to know a little secret?"

Sinister lifted the young man, bringing him close so his sick, hot breath mockingly tickled his face. 

"That young woman over there isn't Rogue. She looks like her; she has the same DNA, even some of the same memories. But you and I both know she's just a clone. However, she's a very important clone, and serves a vital purpose to my plan. That woman over there, is the living embodiment of the Virus X. She does not even know of the lethal power that she is, does not know that she virtually breathes death. Does not know that she is going to bring about the downfall of the weak, both human and mutant alike. Would you like to know something else, LeBeau? With that one little kiss, she infected you with Virus X, for which there is no cure, and now… you are going to die, no matter what…"

Shock flickered momentarily through the red on black eyes, but his lungs were screaming so loudly for air by now it did not last. Sinister through his head back in laughter and Gambit took that moment to fumble inside his jacket pocket for the three remaining cards. The survival instincts had taken a hold of Remy LeBeau by this point, and any feelings of doubt that would have usually stabbed at the back of his mind were silent. His fingers trembled with effort as he tried to get a firm hold of the cards, eventually grasping them and pulling them from his pocket. The edges of his vision were beginning to darken, and his lungs burned. With the last of his strength, Remy charged the three final cards and shoved them into Sinister's mouth as the mutant was still laughing. 

The explosion that ensued was enough to free Gambit of the death hold Sinister had on his throat, and the half-conscious young mutant was sent sliding and sprawling across the cement floor from the sheer impact. Several minutes passed before Remy could manage to open his eyes, and the sight that met him made him wish he hadn't. 

Sinister lay in a cold pool of his own blood, the greater majority of his head gone. No, not gone, he realized, just… relocated. Fragments of bone and small chunks of grey mush that had once been brain were littered across the floor, along with blood. The blood was everywhere and Remy had to fight the bile rising in his throat as he realized he was covered in the sick red substance. The young Cajun had begun to go into shock when he felt himself surrounded by big, blue arms and lifted up and away from the carnage. Hank pulled off the duster, cutting away the top half of Remy's body suit. The blood soaked garment was thrown aside and moist sterile cloths were wiping the splattered blood from his face, his chest, his hair. 

"Are you alright, my friend?"

Hank's eyes shown with worry kindness and concern. And… respect? 

"O..Oui Henri. I'm feelin fine…" 

Remy sat up, shaking the last remnants of darkness from the fog of his brain. 

"Very good. That was a very brave thing you did there, my friend. But I'm afraid heroic praise must be saved for a later date, as our comrades have not faired so well as yourself in this fray. Would you please keep an eye on our mystery lady, as well as our friends while I go and check on our resident Wolverine?" 

Remy blinked back surprise as Hank hurried over to where Logan was beginning to wake after his intimate moment with the wall. Then… Hank had not heard what Sinister had said. Must not have. If Hank knew that Remy had contracted Virus X, the furry blue doctor would already have them all back on the Blackbird and speeding towards the mansion so he could devise a cure. Remy smiled wryly at the irony of it all. 

"Oh well, is better this way. Nothin Hank can do fer ol' Gambit anyway. Least not gonna have to spend de rest o' ma life in de lab.."

Gambit's train of thought was broken as he saw Rogue… the clone was beginning to wake. 

"No, not gonna just call her 'de clone'…. " 

He thought to himself before turning on the charm.

"Hey dere, chere, glad ta see ya wake.." 

He stroked a hand through the striped hair, smiling at the look of wonder that crossed her face. 

"R…Remy?"

Remy bit his lip hard, telling himself repeatedly this was not Rogue, trying to calm the swelling tenderness of his heart while at the same time steeling himself against the anger he felt towards he for infecting him with Virus X. 

"She just a poor, scared petite… not her fault fer any o' dis mess…"

In his mind he repeated this, used it like water to wash away the other feelings raging through him. But to her, he merely continued to smile, trying to project an aura of comfort to the now trembling girl. However, her eyes suddenly went wide, fixed on some movement behind him, and she tried to warn him of the danger, but by then it was already too late. 

From across the room, Sinister's prone form had slowly began to move again. His mysterious healing capability closing off the severed blood vessels and veins in his head, his spinal cord being the first thing to regenerate itself, restoring mobility. However, none of the occupants of the room had noticed any of this until one of the twitching, searching, blood covered hands had found Remy's forgotten bo-staff on the cement floor. 

Remy's hold on "Rogue" tightened reflexively and he shielded her with his body, turning his head just in time to see the pointed end of the bo-staff come hurtling towards him before his vision was obstructed by a wall of yellow spandex stretched taught over clenched muscles. Big, strong arms wrapped around Remy's waist, shielding him as he shielded the trembling woman. However, the bo-staff connected before Logan had time to execute the roll he had planned to clear them from danger. Remy looked up into Logan's face, shock and horror etching his features. The sobbing woman was instantly forgotten and Remy turned, taking Logan in his arms before the older man could collapse. The white's of Logan's eyes flickered, breath fast and sharp and uneven. Remy cupped Logan's face in his hands, tears streaming down his face, touching his fingers tentatively against the nearly black trickle of blood streaming from the corner of Logan's mouth. 

"Cher… non.. non… "

Remy's frantic, whispered sobs were the last thing Logan remembered before he lost consciousness. 


	7. Animal Instincts

The flurry of activity that followed left Remy unsure if this was real, or just some awful nightmare. It felt as if he was frozen in time while everyone around him was moving in accelerated motion. Hank was suddenly there and barking orders, pushing Remy away. The words seemed fuzzy, distant, almost as if he were underwater, yet somehow he managed to carry out the commands. They had to get out, now. Jubilee; still unconscious. Storm; awake but dazed. Bobby; the broken collarbone iced up to avoid further injury. Logan… oh god. Remy fought back the tears that threatened to spill out again; lifting Jubilee as Bobby helped Storm to her feet. He had started to follow Hank, who was already bounding down the hall with Logan, when he remembered the girl. An instant decision, perhaps some need to complete the mission, perhaps something more, had him running back, hoisting the still trembling girl up and over his free shoulder before sprinting after his teammates.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remy found himself in the cockpit of the blackbird. Hank had cleared everyone out of the back part of the jet, reclining several of the chairs to form a make shift operating table. Storm, still too disoriented to fly the jet, had been enlisted as makeshift nurse while Bobby was trying to calm down the girl, who had begun to hyperventilate at this point. Remy could just barely hear Bobby's nervous attempts at humor. Beyond that he could faintly hear Hank and Storm talking. Talking about Logan.

"Non… non, don't t'ink bout it right now…"

Remy muttered to himself as his sudden lack of concentration had caused the plane to dip. For the next hour, Remy thought about nothing, or tired any way. He tried to solely concentrate on flying them home. Tried. But for the entire flight home Remy found his thoughts constantly drifting back to Logan. The man who'd saved his life… again. The man who could be dead now for all her knew. Healing factor… yeah, sure. Remy sighed. He didn't even know what had happened, how badly Logan was hurt. He hadn't seen anything, just the pain.

By the time Remy had landed the plane back at the Institute, Beast and Storm had already secured Logan on a makeshift stretcher and were lowering the ramp. Remy stood, looking back into the empty plane. They had left so fast, he didn't even get to see Logan. Bobby seemed to have calmed the girl enough for her to walk, and he was now leading her off the ramp and towards the infirmary. Remy followed, trying to look straight ahead, concentrating on just getting out of the plane. His feet had other plans though, and he found himself drawn to the place where Logan had been. Remy fell to his knees before the lowered chairs, biting back a sob. Hesitantly, fearing what he would find, Remy touched his bare fingers to the black leather, shivering when his fingers came in contact with something warm and wet. 

"Still warm…oh Dieu, s'il vous plait… …"

He pulled his fingers back, crying out when he saw the dark, fresh blood that dripped from them. He was vaguely aware that he was shaking as he pulled away from the chair, tears streaming down his face. Remy pressed his crimson fingers against his lips, to the liquid that was only now going cold. He knelt like that for a long time, kissing the blood Logan had willing shed for him, crying as he prayed like he couldn't remember having done in years. 

Remy didn't wake from his trance until the sound if Jean's footsteps on the ramp pounded through the fog in his brain. He quickly wiped the blood from his lips on his duster sleeve, his fingers on his side. However, he tried to stand too quickly, and a sudden wave of dizziness threw him to his knees. 

"Please Remy, don't get up for my sake…"

A cool hand brushed through his hair, catching in a patch of blood that had dried there, causing his hair to tangle. The first hand was joined by a second, stroking his hair away from his face, then gently massaging his temples. At first, Remy welcomed the touch, arched into it like a cat being stroked, surrendering to the swell of affection he felt directed at him. But then, he realized what it was she was doing and quickly tried to squirm away. Jean tightened her hold, just enough to keep him in place while she fought his mental shields. Remy bit his lip hard in concentration, putting all the energy he could afford into his shields in a desperate attempt to keep her out. 

"Gambit t'ink it be a good idea you stay outta dere, chere. Dere be a lot goin on in dis pretty ol' head, don't t'ink you quite up to dat… "

He took advantage of her momentary shock to free himself from the slightly painful grip on his head, standing much more carefully this time. 

"Logan's in the infirmary… he's hurt very badly. He…He's asking for you, Remy."

Jean stared at the floor, angry Logan was asking for Remy instead of her, embarrassed that her attempt to read Remy's thoughts had failed. He took a deep breath and headed towards the ramp, his mind reeling with the possibilities of what Logan wanted from him. He stopped a few feet down the ramp, turning to look at Jean. 

"You don't gotta worry dat pretty lil head o' yours, chere… dis Cajun not gonna be 'round ta keep ya off Logan once he heals up. Ya just be real good ta him… ya hear?" 

And with that he left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The hall leading towards the infirmary seemed to stretch for miles, yet it took only a few of the Cajun's long graceful strides to reach the opposite end. He found himself staring blankly at the cold metal doors before him, wondering if perhaps he could just turn back and not have to confront Logan. The doors slid open though, and Bobby walked out, arm and shoulder braced to protect the fractured collarbone. The two men stared at each other for a moment before Bobby reached out, gingerly hugging Remy with his good arm. 

"Stay strong, ok? He really needs you right now. And whatever you do, be careful… he's feeling a lil.. Uh… grumpy? Well, I guess he's always grumpy, isn't he? He's just… exploring his nature side, you could say."

Bobby tried for a wink and a suave smile, but the bright blush staining his cheeks served only to make him look like a nervous high school kid. Keeping to his role, Bobby made a hasty escape, seeming to fly down the hall before Remy had a chance to question him further. With a heavy sigh he entered the lab. 

Once inside, Remy truly wished he had turned back when he had the chance. The front room was not too bad; Jubilee lay on a sterile, white bed against the wall, Storm dabbing at a gash in the young girl's forehead with some sort of antiseptic. 

"Hey, Stormy… how de petite doin?"

Remy pulled up a chair, sitting down beside the white haired goddess. 

"She has received some minor head trauma, as well as a badly sprained ankle, but Hank says she should be alright. However, I believe Jubilation isn't your reason for coming here, brother."

She nodded towards a small wooden door opposite the bed.

"Oui, Stormy. Is he…"

Remy trailed off as the door opened and Dr. McCoy entered the room. Storm's hand on his back gently urged Remy foreword, helping him to stand even after his legs had acquired the consistency of Jell-O. He turned just in time to see her smile at him, light seemingly radiating from that slight upward tug of lips. He kept that smile with him, even as the door closed behind him and the little room Hank had brought him to was plunged into darkness.

Before his eyes could adjust to the darkness, Remy knew Logan was in the room. The smell of the room was almost overpowering to his dark-heightened senses, reeking of blood and antiseptics so strongly. Logan's sweet, wild scent was almost lost beneath it. The second thing he noticed were the sounds; fast, irregular breaths disrupted now and then by a low whimper of pain. Remy felt his knees give out with that first pathetic cry of pain and he unthinkingly grabbed hold of Hank for support. 

"Henri… why it so dark in here?" 

Hank could hear the tears in the young man's voice and he wrapped his arm around Remy's shoulders, trying to calm him. 

"I fear Logan is very badly injured. The bo-staff entered his cranium at a speed of nearly 90 miles per hour, giving it enough force to break through his skull. It is currently wedged directly between the two hemispheres of his brain. I have managed to extract the majority of your bo-staff, however, there's a slight problem. You see, when your metal bo-staff connected with the adamantium casing around his skull at such a high speed, it produced a tremendous amount of heat. So much heat, in fact, that it caused the metal of the bo-staff to liquefy. Since the rest of the staff has been removed, the hole it made has closed up, trapping the metal inside, where it has cooled and hardened back to its previous solid state."

The room was once more silent, save for the ragged intake of breaths. 

"Dat don't explain why it so dark it in here, mon ami…"

The words were meant to be playful, spoken in his carefree manner. However, the charm was gone, drained away with the smiles and laughter of lighter days, soon to be swept up and lost all together with the quickly receding tides of his life. It took several minutes to realize that Hank was talking again, and Remy physically shook himself to clear away his angst filled thoughts and try to listen. 

"…. Separated the two hemispheres of his brain, causing a rift in his consciousness. This rift has triggered the natural animal instincts of his mind and body to surface, causing him to turn feral. Normally such an injury would require extensive surgery and result in massive brain damage, but because of the healing factor, there really isn't much that I can do for him. Surgery is impossible for the incesion would close up immediately, and the adamantium surrounding his skull is nearly impossible to penetrate. Theoretically, such an injury should not have even been possible. But in anycase, all we can do for him is provide a safe environment for him to heal, give him plenty of fluids and nutrients, and keep him calm. I have no way of knowing how long the healing process will take. It could be a matter of hours, days, months, perhaps even a year. However, as he continues to heal, he will slowly regain control over his instincts and behavioral responses. In the meantime though, he is impossibly sensitive to his surroundings. The bright lights of my lab are too much for his nocturne eyes, and that is why I have no lighting currently. Robert, however, has volunteered to retrieve some candles for me so that we may hopefully be able to see without disturbing Logan. Light is not the only thing he is sensitive to though, it seems he is able to actually detect not only the presence of others, but even their emotions and feelings by mere smell alone. It is because of this that I petition you to stay. I know how strongly he cares for you, Remy, and I believe your presence alone may be the best medicine we can offer him at this point… " Beast's speech was cut off by a particularly loud whimper, followed by the sounds of the hospital bed creaking under several hundred pounds of adamantium enforced muscle and bone as Logan tried to sit up. "Ah, I see your awake, Logan… please, try not to sit up…" Hank's kindly doctor advice was cut off by a threatening growl. 

__

Logan could smell the slight stench of fear rising from the large blue male that had been tending to his wounds. At first, the smell had startled him, brought back memories of the hunt, alerted him of the possibility of danger. However, these thoughts died as he caught another scent, slowly growing stronger over the bitter smell of antiseptics. Logan peered through the darkness, wolf-eyes easily making out the lanky shape of the pup standing next to Blue. He felt his heart keen softly in his chest at the sight of the pup; the reason he was now injured. 

Remy slowly, silently approached Logan, completely unsure what to say or even think. Seeing the invulnerable man wounded like this, because of him, sent a sickening swell of guilt through his entire body. Unsure exactly what to do, Remy sat awkwardly down in a chair beside the medical bed. Logan didn't seem pleased with this though, as one huge, calloused hand quickly found its way to the long chestnut hair, grabbing hold of the sloppy ponytail he'd tied it back into. The grip in his hair was only slightly rough as he was pulled down towards the older man.

__

The pup kept a careful distance, but Logan would have none of that. He grabbed the pup by his tail, pulling him close. Burying his face against the exposed throat of his desired mate, he began to sniff around, checking for injuries, as well as the scent of others. Logan could smell the dyeing scent of the pack's alpha female on the pup, but it was weak, nothing to concern himself with. Instead he caught another scent that made him growl; there was something terribly wrong with the pup, but he couldn't quite tell what. 

"Well my Cajun comrade, it appears Logan is quite pleased to see you indeed. I shall take advantage of this brief opportunity to go and fetch myself a fresh cup of that simply divine coffee I've been fantasizing about all this past hour."

"Do me a favor, Henri, and get yo'self a Twinkie while ya at it… ya deserve it…"

Hank supressed a laugh as Logan pulled Remy closer, sniffing and licking him affectionately.

"Indubitably… that is a truly splendid suggestion. I believe I shall.."

__

Logan shook himself as he sniffed again. What was wrong? Apparently, whatever it was, Blue hadn't noticed it, as he gave an amused growl before stalking out of the dark, sterile cave, leaving Logan alone at last with the pup. His fears for the pup's safety momentarily vanished as the young male began to chatter away, his voice a sing song mix of joy and fear. For several moments Logan smiled, basking in the relief that seemed to radiate from the young one. The pup's constant noise soon became too much for his sensitive ears though and he pulled the other male onto the strange nest, softly biting the pup's muzzle to silence him. 

Remy stared up in shock. He had been pouring out his heart, telling Logan how scared he'd been and how happy he was that Logan would alright when suddenly the older man had somehow grabbed hold of him, pulling him onto the hospital bed. Remy found himself pinned down on the scratchy sheets with Logan's mouth over his own, sharp canines digging into his skin, soft tongue caressing his lips. Remy went rigid, his entire body freezing as he stared up at Logan. But then the rough hands found their way into his hair and Remy was lost.

__

Logan's attempt to silence the pup was a success. However it worked slightly too well, as the male beneath him was now completely silent, barely breathing he was so rigid with fear. Logan tried to calm him, licking the pup's snout comfortingly, rubbing his nose against the younger male's. One large paw settled into the silky auburn fur, stroking it. The pup seemed to melt beneath the gentle touch and Logan couldn't help but smile as he nuzzled the exposed throat. 

Remy nearly purred as Logan massaged his scalp, playing with his long hair. He was enjoying it so much, he didn't even mind when Logan curled up partially on top of him, licking his bare throat. Instead, he tangled a hand in Logan's wild mane, stroking and pulling the wiry man closer. 

__

Now content that the pup was safe and by his side once more, Logan felt a tremendous flood of relief, which was quickly followed by an overwhelming swell of exhaustion. Tucking the pup close against his side, Logan began to drift off to sleep. He buried his face against the pup's long graceful neck, breathing in deeply. At that moment, something clicked, like the first two pieces of a puzzle falling together in his mind. Through the animal haze a clear, loud voice shouted through his mind as he began to doze. The voice repeated over and over 

"Remy... his name is Remy."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The huge, blue-furred chest heaved with a mighty sigh as Hank sunk into a wobbly, high backed kitchen chair. When he had finally arrived in the kitchen, he'd found the coffee he'd been anticipating had been poured out, and the Twinkie box in the cupboard was empty. As a doctor, he knew it was important he remained calm and optimistic at all times, but this was just getting to be too much. 

"Ever since Jean… no, I suppose it has been since Logan's return? Most likely closer to a month… Since Rogue…? "

Hank shook his head and sighed, eventually giving up on when exactly things had begun going wrong after tracing it back as far as the time his first puppy ran away when he was 5. 

"Hank? What are you doing up so late? Shouldn't you be in your lab, sleeping on stacks of papers and Twinkie wrappers?"

Jubilee patted a tense, blue shoulder as she hobbled over to the chair next to Hank and sat down. Hank tried to disguise the genuine rush of relief he felt at her arrival, signaling the end of his self-pity marathon. 

"And what of you my dear? I believe Doctor's orders clearly stated you were to stay off that ankle and rest? Would you care to inform me what emergency has demanded you abandon these orders, as well as the crutches, which said Doctor supplied for you?"

Hank smirked at her as she began to laugh, the soft, twinkling sound causing his breath to catch. 

"Oh Hank… you're so …cute." 

She managed at last, becoming uncharacteristically serious. It was only then that Hank realized her seriousness wasn't so inexplicable, and perhaps her earlier out burst towards Bobby may have actually been explainable. He leaned back in his chair and studied the girl smiling quietly back at him. No… not uncharacteristic at all. This was just a new character to adjust to, for somehow, in a brief moment when he hadn't been looking, she had grown up. And somehow, there was something new in those familar, twinkling brown eyes that made his cold, aching heart feel warm inside.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The soft, wheezing snores tickling his ear came as a rude awakening from the gentle touches of only moments before. However, a strong, sudden wave of panic seized Remy as he realized he was trapped between 300-something pounds of dead weight, unable to budge Logan an inch in his unconscious state. However Logan, the man those 300-something pounds belonged to, seemed to sense his despair, even in sleep. Almost immediately the weight shifted to the side and a big, warm hand came to tangle in auburn hair. The warm, tingly, lightning bolts of sensation sparked by the intimate contact were confusing, even slightly scary at first, but the young Cajun was quickly discovering the pleasure made up for it. Remy had actually begun to doze in the warm, comfortable embrace when there was a knock at the door. Bolting instantly back to reality, Remy's eyes shot open, peering through the darkness to the lock on the door. His heart began to race.

"Why couldn't Gambit be telekinetic, neh?"

He thought desperately to himself, concentrating hard on the door, willing it to lock itself. What would the person knocking say to find them like this? And even worse… if he were to get up, would he find this warm, loving embrace had merely been a dream? 

"Merde" 

Remy cursed softly as the knob began to turn, and he quickly closed his eyes, hiding his face against Logan's shoulder in feigned sleep.

Ororo couldn't help but smile at the scene in the dimly lit room. Ever since Rogue's death, she had prayed daily to the Goddess to grant her brother release from the terrible pain he'd been burdened with. However, she'd never imagined that help would come from one of her oldest and dearest friends; Logan. And never like.. well, this!

"Remy, I know you're awake…" 

The weather goddess laid a gentle hand on Remy's shoulder, laughing despite herself when his eyes just squeezed closed more tightly. 

"Do not worry, brother, I am not here to judge you, you should know that by now. I merely wanted to suggest you go and rest for a bit; I will tend to Logan in your absence." 

"Dun wanna get up, Stormy…"

The words sounded so childish, but the desperation in his voice, the strength with which he clung to Logan, broke her heart, even excusing him for using the dreaded nickname. 

"I know, brother. Perhaps just a small meal and a shower, then? It would greatly ease my troubled mind to know you were well. Besides, you are of no use to Logan in his injured state hungry and tired… he relies on your strength more than any medical cure Hank can offer him…"

Remy batted away the hand gently shaking his shoulder. 

"Ouai, Stormy… gettin' up…" 

'Not that much can help ol' Remy at dis point…' he couldn't help but think to himself.

He shifted free from beneath Logan, blushing when he was pulled back with a growl. Ororo couldn't help but laugh at the sheepish grin spread across Remy's tired face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Professor Xavier sighed. It seemed as if sighing was all he could do anymore. Nearly an hour ago he had called out for Jean to come to his private quarters to update him on the condition of the injured X-men and talk about the situation involving Scott. She had never showed up though. Now he was left sitting beside Scott's still form, debating over what his next move should be. He found himself unable to accept the defeat of loosing his first student and close friend should he have to send Scott away. Yet, this decision was not about his personal feelings, it was about what was good for Scott, and for the team. He sighed yet again. Where on earth was Jean when he needed her?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Silent, bare feet padded along the well-worn carpet of the hallway. Remy turned the corner, stopping abruptly outside the kitchen door upon hearing Hank's solemn voice. Remy nearly ventured to enter anyway when he heard a soft, feminine laugh. Jubilee. Smiling knowingly to himself, he quickly retreated back the way he came so as not to disturb them. Instead, he took the long, winding staircase that would lead him to his room, craving a long, hot shower to erase the remaining traces of his encounter with Sinister. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't even see Jean Grey until they collided head on. 

"Sorry, Chere… didn't see ya there, me. Too caught up in me own… t'oughts…"

He paused, trying to hide his surprise as he helped Jean to her feet. 

"Its ok, just… watch where your going next time, Gambit…"

She brushed off her rumpled clothing, and tried to smooth her mussed hair, succeeding only in freeing a small flurry of soft, white, down feathers from herself. As her footsteps retreated down the stairs, Remy knelt and picked up on of the larger feathers that had freed itself from her wild main, twirling it thoughtfully as his memory recognized the expensive cologne. He didn't know whether to laugh, or cry at the strange turn of events. He was so enveloped in his own thoughts, Remy didn't even recall the state of his bedroom until he reached the slashed remains of the door. A flurry of curses, mostly in French, resounded down the hallway as he paced a few steps before it occurred to him that Logan's room was only a few doors down.


	8. Ashes to Ashes

Professor Xavier looked up as he at last heard a knock at the door, followed by the turning of the heavy brass knob and shrill squeak of the hinges. Jean entered the massive chamber.

"Professor? Are you here? I'm sorry I'm late, I…"

Xavier appeared from a side hallway, pressing a button on his metal chair and gliding soundlessly towards her.

"Do not worry, Jean, I understand completely, I'm just glad you're here now. I'm in great need of your opinion as to what to do about Scott, and I thought there was none better to ask than you."

As he spoke, Xavier led Jean to his bedchamber, where Scott lay on the bed, surrounded in a soft red haze. 

"As far as I can see, Jean, we have two possible courses of action. First, we can let him awake as he is now. However, after peering deeply into his thoughts I've concluded he is filled with far too much hate and rage to remain an X-men at this point, so from there the only possibility I can think of is to permanently banish him from the team, and the mansion…."

He paused and looked up, surprised as Jean began to massage his neck and shoulders. She smiled down at him sweetly, her full, pink lips curling in a way that wasn't entirely innocent. He felt his jaw drop limply in shock as he felt her mind begin to caress his own. Gathering up all the strength he could muster, he tried to block her from his mind, but either he was too weak, or she had just become too powerful.

"..Then.. umm… there is our second option…"

For the first time in countless years, Xavier was at a loss for words. The thoughts that had been so clear only a moment ago were now tinged in a rose haze. 

"The second option, which is to… " 

He found the sentence and the thought cut off completely as one long, slender finger pressed itself against his lips, and Jean made a soft, "shhhh" sound. 

"Professor, please… try not to worry yourself with such utterly useless problems as this when there are much more… urgent matters… that require your attention…"

Taking his hand in hers, she placed it on her chest above her swiftly beating heart. It lingered there for a minute, absorbing the heat and softness of her skin, before she again moved his hand, placing it on the ample curve of one full breast. Xavier's eyes shot swiftly up to hers, the vituperative words dying on his tongue as he saw the hungry, vulnerable look in tear glazed eyes.

"Oh Jean… what has happened to us…."

Jean slipped into Xavier's lap, her hands gently stroking his face and chest as her mouth descended upon his…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remy sighed heavily as he at last stepped beneath the hot, pulsing spray of water. For a long time he stood, eyes clenched tightly shut as he let the thick layers of dried blood dissolve from his skin and hair. Only after he was certain all visual reminders of the events of the day were gone did he open his eyes and reach for the bottle of French imported Cinnamon shampoo he usually kept on the shelf outside the curtain. Instead, he found himself staring blankly at a lone bottle of Pert Plus two in one, Shampoo and Conditioner. 

"Merde.. completely forgot dis aint my bathroom. But honestly… Pert Plus? No wonder Wolvie's hair always stick straight up…"

Remy mumbled to himself as he gingerly picked up the bottle of shampoo and proceeded to viciously scrub his hair and scalp with the thick, soapy substance. Tilting his head back, he let the last traces of battle slip down the drain with the bubbles. Standing there beneath the warm, hypnotic pulse of water, his body began to completely relax; tense muscles going limp as complete exhaustion overwhelmed him. He felt the dreamy whirl of sleep begin to pull at his mind, impossible to resist and slowly drawing him into surrender. His body slumped against the slippery tile wall, eyes drooping shut in sleep when a blast of previously undetected emotions suddenly hit him with the equivalent force of a metal pipe to the back of his skull. His entire body tensed immediately and his eyes flew open, the gentle intake of breath catching in his lungs and nearly choking him. Too startled to really consider who these feelings might belong to, or even realize he'd left the door open to begin with, he threw back the shower curtain, standing absolutely naked and poised for battle. Remy wasn't at all sure what he had expected to find on the opposite side of the curtain, but it certainly wasn't HER. At first, he wanted to just pull the curtain back shut and pretend it was all a dream, but then it hit him. Fear. Terror even. He felt it more strongly than anything he'd ever felt in his life; even more strongly than his own racing heart. Her face and eyes betrayed nothing of it, but he felt it; he knew. Reaching for a towel, he stepped blindly from the shower, completely forgetting the spray of water behind him. Grasping the towel limply at his waist, he stepped closer to the girl, staring down at her as if he might be able to read her thoughts if he tried hard enough. Lifetimes came and went as they tried to guess what the other might be thinking. Meanwhile the rug outside the shower was becoming saturated with the misguided spray of the shower, and the dripping moisture from Remy's own body. Slowly, he raised his free hand, bringing it closer to her face, closer and closer. He could feel the heat of her skin, even as her body turned to stone. The tips of his fingers could almost imagine the feel of that skin, and the pull at his very life force that would come with it. Abruptly he jumped, pulling sharply away as the intercom buzzed with Storm's frantic voice. 

"Remy, please, you are urgently needed in the med-lab. Please.. hurry!"

In the background could be heard the metallic echoes of medical instruments hitting the floor, a loud crash, a deep threatening growl. Even as the sounds were still registering in his brain, Remy pushed the girl aside and ran out the door, sprinting down the hall and to the elevator. His mind was whirling so quickly he did not even realize he was still dripping wet and naked until he reached the elevator. Grasping the flimsy towel held precariously over his groin, Remy began swiping at chest, arms, and legs as the small box quickly began dropping, one floor after another. As the metal doors opened he rushed out, knocking over Bobby in the process and nearly slipping on the smooth, cold tiles of the floor. He threw open the med-lab doors and threw open the door to the small, sterile room he knew contained Logan. 

Once inside, he found a most peculiar sight, one that he would have been forced to laugh at under different conditions. Logan stood atop the exam table, the medical gown ripped and splattered with blood, most likely his own. Storm, in turn, stood firmly and regal as ever, hands on her hips, glaring at the wild man. As he opened the door both turned, staring at him. 

__

Logan squinted at the bright intrusion of light, trying to identify the form in the entrance of the cave. Sniffing the air, he realized… it was the pup. Dropping down to a crouch he made to leap for him and drag him back into the cave, this time certain not to loose him again. His muscles were already coiling when the white haired female stepped in his path, blocking him from his prize. Growling deep in his throat, his warned her to move, but she did not. Her scent spoke of challenge. The thick, metal claws shot immediately from his knuckles, and he barred his teeth, preparing to draw blood if he must. 

"Stormy… back away real slow… please. Y..your in his way."

"Brother, I am under strict orders not let him leave the med-lab under any.."

Remy looked urgently back and forth between the two, his heart nearly stopping as Logan's body coiled to pounce.

"Stormy it aint out he wants, its me, now please move.. pleaseee"

Storm heistated a moment out of shock, but when Logan made to swipe at her she quickly retreated to the small door where Remy stood.

"Remy, please, I am not sure it is the best idea to leave you…."

Remy winked at her and shooed her out the door.

"We be find, Stormy. You know we will… he won't hurt me. T'anks for de petite break, but now it be time for you ta go get some rest."

And with that, he closed the door, plunging the room back into darkness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jubilation, I must confess, if it had not been for your blatant disobedience of my direct medical orders, I can but only imagine the misery of which these past hours would have consisted."

Hank smiled warmly at the girl sitting beside him. Her own smile beamed back up at him as she took one enormous, blue furred hand in both of hers. 

"My thoughts exactly, Hank. My thoughts exactly…."

She trailed off somewhat dazedly as she watched beams of light from a full moon dance across the tiled counter. So strange to think only a matter of hours ago she had been so filled with pain she could hardly think straight. How long ago had that been? 2…3 hours? Maybe 4. Never had she imagined her trip downstairs for a glass of juice and a stolen Twinkie to end like this. Looking up, she found a pair of impossibly beautiful, dark eyes gazing back, and suddenly it hit her. For the first time in as long as she could remember, the glasses were gone. There was something else different too though. Along with the glasses had gone the distant, clinical look that always lurked there. It seemed almost as if he was really seeing her for the first time, not as a child, or teammate, or friend… but as a woman. Hank lifted the other warm, furred hand and stroked it tenderly through her hair and down her back. The breath in her throat caught sharply and she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"Hank..I…."

"Shhh…."

Huge, blue furred arms seemed to swallow her small frame as Hank pulled her into a bear hug.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leaping down from the strange, hard nest, Logan approached the pup, sniffing the air apprehensively. A strange scent lingered around the pup, but it was him, and Logan could barely contain the joy and relief in his heart. Snorting and nipping gently, he herded the pup back to the nest, annoyed by the odd smell masking the pup's sweet, natural scent and set on cleansing him of it immediately. The pup moved slowly, too slowly and Logan nudged his thigh with his own snout as the pup climbed into the nest, trying to hurry him along. He laughed as the pup yipped and scrambled up as fast as he could, growling softly at Logan. 

Remy had been relieved he had arrived in time and ended a standoff that would most likely have ended in bloodshed. He'd felt so relieved in fact, he had not struggled or pulled away when Logan began to sniff him and nudge him towards the medical bed, he had even begun to climb in on his own, until he felt Logan's rough, unshaved cheek against his bare thigh. As quickly as that, the sense of relief and security was gone, and it suddenly hit him that he might not be as safe as he thought. Looking at the feral man before him, Remy suddenly realized that being closed all alone in a dark room with Logan, he might very easily become a new kind of prey. 

__

Logan stared questioningly at the pup, now crouched on the far side of the nest against a wall and growling pathetically at him. Usually such an act that compromised his complete dominance would have infuriated him, but the pup stunk of absolute terror, and was beginning to shake. Fear was not what he had intended, and Logan knew from experience that it was no way to win the pup as his mate. Slowly, he crawled forward, crouching down so as not to scare the pup any further.

Remy huddled in the far corner, on the very edge of the exam table where it backed up against a wall. At first, he tried to reason with the wolf man moving steadily toward him, eventually resorting to growling in hopes Logan's animal side would get the message. However, Logan only proceeded to climb onto the bed, crawling closer and closer. Remy began to panic.

__

Logan froze as the pup began to whimper, shaking as if he were caught in a trap. Instinctively Logan reached forward to calm the frightened young male, but somehow this only made things worse, as the pup tumbled from the nest onto the cold, hard floor of the cave, the white material around his waist falling away, leaving the pup bare and frightened. The whimpering got louder. Confused, worried, and slightly frustrated, Logan jumped down from the nest as well, approaching the pup, who had begun to cry. Wrapping one paw around his waist and gently biting into his scruff, Logan lifted the shivering pup into the nest, pulling the covers up with his teeth and curling his own body around the long, lean form beside him. Slowly, the shivering stopped, and the pup's swift, shallow breaths calmed with sleep. Tenderly, Logan began licking the pup's face and fur, replacing the foreign scent with his own.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She wasn't sure exactly when he'd pulled her up out of her chair and into his lap, but Jubilee found herself safely cradled there as Hank rocked her back and forth. She also wasn't sure just how long she'd been crying, but the fur beneath her face was very wet. Jubilee looked up from the mass of blue fur her face was buried in, hugging Hank tighter. That got his attention, and he smiled down at her, opening his mouth to make some intelligent, witty remark or another. Jubilee was too quick though, tangling her fingers in the fur on his head and pulling him down to press a very soft, chaste kiss to his lips before the words even had a chance. Hanks eyes shot wide open with shock, and his jaw hung slightly as she pulled away to look at him. She was just about to lean in for another kiss when first one scream, then another echoed down the halls, and a series of small explosions shook the entire house. Hank snapped from his stupor immediately, replacing Jubilee to her former seat and dashing out of the kitchen calling over his shoulder..

"I'm afraid we'll have to continue this little chat another time, my dear… please forgive my hasty exit…"

Hank's warmth still echoed through her, but the screams made her blood run cold. The strange paradox of feelings briefly froze her on the spot, until she heard another scream, this one coming from the med-lab. Unconscious of the pain in her ankle, Jubilee was on her feet instantly and hobbling as fast as possible to the lab. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hank was not entirely certain of the precise origin of the screams, but he ran in the general direction as quickly as he could. He stepped out of the elevator onto the second floor, looking around in the darkness, uncertain of where to go next when Ororo sped around the corner.

"Henry! Thank the Goddess, please… you must hurry… I fear we may already be too late…"

Storm's usual grace and composure were gone. Her voice was frantic and tears streamed unchecked down her face as she ran back the way she had come, leading Hank to the private chambers of Charles Xavier. Stepping carefully into the pitch dark room, he followed the faint glow of red light pouring down the hallway. He'd almost forgotten Storm was there altogether, until she grabbed hold of his hand to lead the way. As they entered the bedchamber, Hank froze, unable to think or move or even breathe. Ororo burst once more into tears, slumping against the wall before crumpling to the floor. Hank tried hard not to throw up. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jubilee pushed the door to the med-lab open. A sickening silence hung in the air. The only sound was the ever present hum of various machines and computers, eternally performing strange tests and calculations. She stood, staring at the plain white door that led to the room Hank had assigned to Logan. Her hand rested on the doorknob. Afraid of what she'd find if she turned the brass orb in her hand, but equally scared of what might happen if she didn't. A shrill, broken howl broke the spell of silence and Jubilee pushed open the door, staring into the hot, dark room. Her presence was met by a weak, pathetic growl.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Somewhere in Xavier's room, Hank could hear breathing. The knowledge that somewhere within the haze of smoke and dust Charles Xavier still lived, the hope that he might not be too late after all, spurred him into action. Rushing forward into the room, he followed the slight sound of breathing, lifting shards of splintered oak that had once been furniture. The floor beneath his feet began to groan loudly in protest. Carefully he moved from the weak spot in the floor.

"Storm, I greatly need your assistance. I fear that as a result of the explosions the floor and other structures necessary to the stability of this room have been severely weakened and will not hold up for very much longer. It is of absolute necessity that we remove the professor immediately and evacuate this wing of the mansion."

Storm stared blankly at Hank for a moment before getting shakily to her feet and using her powers of the winds to gently lift herself from the ground so as not to put any additional weight on the floor.

"Thank you Storm. Please, remain strong. Everything will be alright, just help me locate the Professor."

"Hank… its not just the Professor…" 

Storm lifted a large twisted mass of wood that had once been the bed, falling back with a scream when she saw what lay beneath it. Turning abruptly Hank saw the cause of Storm's anguish, for laying prone amongst the wreckage, was the burnt and bleeding body of their former leader; Scott.

"My God…"

Hank dropped to the floor beside the body, checking for breath, a pulse, any possible sign of life, but there was none. Hank looked to Storm with abject terror. 

"H…He's dead…"


End file.
